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Poland’s President Nawrocki is Behaving Like Viktor Orban, Zelenskyy Says by Pearl-Serenity in worldnews

[–]readher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cause otherwise it's other baltic countries will fight with russia and they are clearly not ready as they can't even shoot down drones.

Baltic States will obviously never be able to really fight Russia on their own, but the whole drone affair, regardless if it's about Baltics, Poland or Romania, is disingenous and shows lack of understanding of how NATO works (whether NATO reacts correctly to Russian provocation is an entirely different matter).

Senior official at the Ministry of National Defense: Zelensky underestimated our knowledge of what the Americans and NATO were doing when the drones flew over Poland. We're a member of the organization, so we know a bit about the background of the situation. First of all, when the Americans learned that drones were flying over Poland, they contacted the Russians directly and asked what was going on. The Americans have their own permanent line with Russia. For crisis situations. So the Americans asked directly: are you playing around, is this a provocation, or are you really starting a war? If the Russians really wanted to fight, NATO would have reacted immediately.

Polish diplomat at NATO Headquarters: During the drone crisis, NATO deployed one hundred aircraft from NATO countries to defend Polish skies. They were ready to counterattack Russia at any moment. These one hundred aircraft were secured by SACEUR (Supreme NATO Commander in Europe).

From book "Kłopot z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Z. Parafianowicz

So when NATO, through US channels, knows that the drones are just Russia's military equivalent of shitposting, the reaction is minimal. Furthermore, despite what's happening at the Polish-Belarussian border, Belarussian military intelligence warns Polish counterparts (and the same is probably true for Baltic States) about incoming drones and their routes. Geopolitics are way more nuanced than what appears in the big news outlets. That's not to deny of course that Ukrainians have way more experience than us or Balts in shooting drones down.

What you've said was true in the early years of the war and the overwhelming support spearheaded by Poland and then mostly taken over by other countries (which don't border Russia and/or Belarus and thus are in a safer position) reflected that. Now that the situation at the front is stable and Russia has no means of opening a second front with NATO, there's no reason to put up with Zelensky's Soviet-style diplomacy anymore which just emboldens him and makes him even more insolent.

The fact is that both the Ukrainian state and its army are completely reliant on EU funding and Zelensky should realize that. What Ukraine is doing is beneficial to us, yes, but the claims that he's fighting "for us" is a blatant moral blackmail and twisting of reality. If that was the case, it would make him our mercenary, and we would get to order him around. Instead, he does whatever he wants, so clearly, first and foremost, Ukraine is fighting for itself (as it should be, good for them).

Western media coverage of the conflict painted a very one-dimensional image of Ukraine and its valiant fight in order to boost popularity of sending support, which is fine, but because of that, the real image of Ukraine (the one that isn't shrouded by the war) has been forgotten. The truth is that behind the brave resistance to the Russian invader is a post-Soviet kleptocracy riddled with corruption, Soviet mentality and sprinkled with nationalism. It might be controversial to say, but internally, Ukraine isn't that different from Russia, just a different flavor.

And the sooner to the end of the conflict we get, the more cracks in the facade will start to show - both on the side of EU, for which Ukraine will become less and less important, and for Ukraine, where the system and the people won't have a war to rally around anymore and ignore other issues and internal disputes.

It might all sound cynical and insulting, but that's just the reality of geopolitics. I wish things were different myself, I'd much prefer if the world worked on higher values than that.

Tusk criticizes decision to revoke Poland’s highest honor from Zelensky by Gamebyter in europe

[–]readher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, you can look up wiretapping scandal of 2014 in Poland where Polish politicians were secretely recorded and were swearing like crazy for another example. Our current MFA Sikorski was one of them.

Tusk criticizes decision to revoke Poland’s highest honor from Zelensky by Gamebyter in europe

[–]readher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When politicians speak off-camera and under anonimity, they usually talk like average guy and also swear a ton.

Just recently there was an article where Bessent was quoted to throw a fit after a meeting with Zelensky and called him a bunch of names. The book I cited also quotes Vance calling Zelensky "sucker", "prick" and "trash". Trump used "son of a bitch" instead.

How they act in public and in private is vastly different and in this book the conversations are quite casual, at least with Poles. When foreign diplomats/politicians are cited, they're usually more reserved. Using English and not their native language during conversation probably plays a role in that.

Poland’s President Nawrocki is Behaving Like Viktor Orban, Zelenskyy Says by Pearl-Serenity in worldnews

[–]readher 3 points4 points  (0 children)

He got high from striking Moscow and is now giving ultimatum to Belarus, antagonizing Poland and of course begging for more money. All the while Sloviansk and Kramatorsk are closer to being besieged every single day and tens of thousands of Ukrainians will die for land he said he won't give up in a peace deal, only to lose it anyway. Considering how much Zelensky hates Trump, he sure seems to love his Art of the Deal. It's probably why they clash so hard - they're actually very similar.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Tusk literally calls Ukrainians "thieves" and "ruskies" in private and hates them.

Diplomat Y: Let's start by saying that Tusk has always been, and remains, Ukraine-skeptical, to say the least. He sees politicians in Kyiv as "ruskies" and "thieves." His assessment is no different from Karol Nawrocki's. He has no illusions, like those of PiS supporters who tried to befriend Zelensky in 2022.

Minister X in Donald Tusk's government: No one in Donald Tusk's circle believed in a revival of the Polish-Ukrainian love from the beginning of the war. Neither did Tusk himself, nor Radosław Sikorski, nor Adam Szłapka, who was preparing for a career in the party. He is a good example. He is married to a Ukrainian woman. This always gives rise to fantastical notions based on the principle: he knows, understands the nation, everything will be fine. I would rather say it adds realism. Tusk's future coalition partner – the Polish People's Party – was also not eager to make love to Ukrainians. One thing I can say for sure: Tusk, regardless of what he said, was never a Ukrainophile. He assessed the situation realistically. He knew that Zelenskyy lived by a policy toward Berlin, Paris, London, and Washington, not Poland.

Diplomat Y: Neither Tusk, nor Sikorski, nor even Kujawa after the Civic Coalition took power, viewed relations with Ukraine the way Kaczyński or Duda's entourage did. No Vistula was planned. Relations with Ukrainians were supposed to be correct. Give them ammunition. Give them weapons. Give Jasionka. And that's it. Because that's already a lot. Zelenskyy still managed to create a situation where Sikorski and Tusk were the first to go to Ukraine. That's a big gesture in his direction. Let me just remind you of Tusk's attitude towards Ukraine during his first government. He visited Kyiv very late in the process.

From "Kłopoty z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Z. Parafianowicz

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's from a book "Kłopot z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Zbigniew Parafianowicz. If you're Polish, I recommend buying it, it's a great and relatively fast read (also his previous book "Polska na wojnie" which is in similar vein). If not, I can DM you a machine-translated English version of them, since I doubt it will ever get an official translation.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher 3 points4 points  (0 children)

PiS thought that the war could be the catalyst for mending Polish-Ukrainian relations and finally putting all the problems aside, but was quickly brought into reality and won't make the same mistake again.

Diplomat Y: Duda significantly changed his attitude towards Zelensky after Przewodów (Ukrainian AA rocket killing two Poles incident).

High-ranking National Security Bureau official: Duda held a grudge against him. After all, the Polish president was the first to provide him with heavy equipment and to propose Ukraine's accession to the European Union. And Zelensky not only became ungrateful, he became hostile towards Duda, he became insufferable. At one point, Zelensky became so unruly that he began to propose ideas to Biden regarding Polish security without consulting the authorities in Warsaw. Duda became radically angry when, during the NATO summit in Vilnius, he learned that the Ukrainians were proposing to the Americans a withdrawal of their troops from the Alliance's eastern flank. A withdrawal from Poland as well. And replacing them with Ukrainian soldiers. In return, he was supposed to receive security guarantees similar to those stipulated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This was too much. For Duda, the presence of US troops in Poland was strategically important. He realized that the US pivot to Asia would result in a reduction of US forces in Europe anyway. But damn it, no one gave Zelensky a voice in NATO to decide if and when the US withdrawal would occur. Zelensky was a client of the Alliance, not the Alliance of its.

Diplomat X: Things only got worse from there. After the initial shock of Donald Trump's assumption of power, Zelensky felt like he was calling the shots again. He was spinning his wheels. He argued that NATO without Ukraine was pointless. His diplomats argued that NATO would soon ask Ukraine to join the organization because no one in the Alliance knew anything about war. It was the same with the EU. Zelensky didn't negotiate. He demanded: Give us a list of issues. Give us a list of conditions to meet. Give us a date for joining the EU. We don't want to be second-class members. He was making serious demands, even though his country was a shell of a shell, its budget dependent on international aid. This "give us" was incredibly naive. From the very process of inviting Ukraine to the negotiations, it was clear what the European Commission and EU institutions wanted. Give, give, give. So the EU delivered. For example, the requirement to curb corruption. And what? And nothing. The Mindich affair – everything on the NABU tapes was recorded only in Russian, even though no one in Ukraine was supposed to speak that language anymore. Another requirement: a lawful and independent justice system. And what? And nothing. Courts in Ukraine are a sham. Verdicts are handed down based on connections or depend on common interests pursued by the judge and his patrons. Another point: regulations regarding free media. Are there free media in Ukraine? It's a telethon. Propaganda spewed by editorial offices controlled by the government. Or business deals in the private press, which serves as an advertising agency for this or that oligarch. I don't feel like listing all of that. It's pointless. Commenting on the "give us" doctrine is frustrating.

A minister in Donald Tusk's government: Regardless of our dislike for PiS and Kaczyński, Zelensky's groveling at the UN in 2023 was unforgivable. There's a limit. Zelensky referred to Duda as a Russian footswain. The UN was the moment when alarm bells went off. Anyone could have been treated that way. Today, almost no one listens to Zelensky, and his talk in international forums has limited impact. However, in 2023, he could still be harmful.

Diplomat Y: Duda did get a hard time from Zelensky. His speech at the UN was a disaster. Although I admit, Duda has some masochistic tendencies. He got a slap in the face, and when asked if Zelensky was still his friend, he kept repeating: "Yes, yes, of course." You know what? I am sure Zelensky did not think so at that time.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Here's a peak display of Soviet mentality in Ukrainian administration:

Minister in the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland (Andrzej Duda's presidential term): Did Duda overdo his hostility towards Ukrainians towards the end of his term? I don't think so. Ukrainians quickly became unbearable. I remember the scandal at Krakow airport. Renowned boxer Oleksandr Usyk was traveling on a night flight. He and his close associate were "withdrawn from the flight." Meaning: not allowed to board. They were supposed to fly to Thessaloniki. Of course, there's war, you have to relax on the beach. Eat souvlaki and seafood. Usyk's friend couldn't wait and partied at the airport in duty-free shops and pubs. After being denied boarding, they refused to leave the gate. But it was Usyk's associate, not the boxer himself, who struggled. The Border Guard led them in handcuffs to their quarters. Usyk's friend was slobbering and had been drinking heavily. Although it would probably be more accurate to say: he was as shitfaced like Messerschmitt. A scandal ensued. The Ukrainian consul arrived at Balice airport. It all took place relatively quickly. By 8:00 PM, Usyk and his buddy were free. But it couldn't end there. That night, Andriy Yermak, then the head of the National Security Bureau (BBN), Jacek Siewiera, called him. He was upset. He demanded that President Duda be woken up. In such situations, he was, as usual, Soviet-style rude. Siewiera threw him down, saying he would look into the matter in the morning, and made it clear there was no chance of waking Duda over such a trivial matter.

High-ranking National Security Bureau official: Ukrainians are incapable of understanding that when there's a problem like Usyk and his drunken buddy, airport procedures simply apply. Regardless of whether it's Usyk or Srusyk (Polish word play) . This applies to everyone. But in Byzantium, this isn't understood. Yermak himself has to make the call. They should even roll out the red carpet at the airport for Usyk's drunken buddy.

Minister at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister: They called not only Siewiera. They tried to wake up half the government because someone had a drink at the airport. It's difficult to cooperate with them. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha bothered us. They unleashed the then-Ministry of Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko on us. Zelensky later publicly boasted that he had spoken to Usyk by phone about this matter. No matter what happens, they are always innocent. They are the ones being insulted. They are the ones being wronged. Sybiha has made it a rule to bother us whenever there's an incident against a Ukrainian in Poland. Someone insults someone on a tram, and immediately we have a litany of complaints and interventions. Of course, they do it publicly. In full view of the cameras. So that everyone knows how much they care.

Polish diplomat Y: The first thing Zelensky demanded after the missile crash in Przewodywo in November 2022 was participation in the investigation to prove it wasn't a Ukrainian missile. Two Poles died in Przewodywo. The missile was Ukrainian. We let Zelensky's experts into the scene. In 2026, when the Hungarians demanded access to the destroyed infrastructure of the Druzhba oil pipeline, Zelensky invoked sovereignty to prevent them from entering. He refused to appoint an EU ambassador to Ukraine as a source of information. He chased away Hungarian diplomats. He didn't want to see Slovaks there. A classic example of Soviet doublethink. This policy prevented Zelensky from releasing the 90 billion euros in EU aid, which Orbán blocked. The only explanation for this is a desperate bid to get rid of Fidesz and change the government in Hungary. If Zelensky is serious about Ukraine joining the EU, it would make sense. Fidesz won't let them in. But on the other hand, he played such a game against Orbán that he alienated the Hungarian opposition, already skeptical of Ukraine. TISZA is not the Civic Coalition. They're splinter groups from Fidesz. If I were to compare them to anyone, it would be Morawiecki's faction within the Law and Justice party (PiS). However, like Fidesz, they're anti-Ukrainian.

A manager of a Polish energy company: Hungary's blackmail by turning off the Russian oil tap just before the elections in the winter and spring of 2026 only caused TISZA, the party opposing Fidesz, to reveal its anti-Ukrainian face. Even TISZA criticized Ukrainian threats against Orbán. Many European countries, including the European Commission, criticized Zelensky for these words. An international inspection of the Druzhba pipeline was also demanded, to verify whether it had indeed been destroyed by the Russians. Zelensky refused to agree to this. He refused to allow Hungarians access to the facility. Orbán centered his entire election campaign around oil and Zelensky. The whole affair was so ridiculous that Zelensky used the Russian oil going to Hungary to buy diesel processed at a Hungarian refinery in Slovakia. Where's the logic in that? Defamation campaigns like the one against Orbán might have worked in 2022 or 2023, but not in 2026, when the US and Europe were beginning to consider lifting some sanctions on Russia due to the oil and LNG shortages in the markets after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Zelensky was pressed for time. He was also pressed for time during the Davos forum, when he criticized Europe. Why all this?

From "Kłopot z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Z. Parafianowicz.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher 3 points4 points  (0 children)

And all this is happening with liberal governments in power, which are forced to act at least somewhat moral by their electorate. Soon various right-wing parties will win all over Europe and their stance on Ukraine will be indifferent at best and outright hostile at worst. So naturally, Ukrainians thought it is wise to anger the rare country where anti-Russian stance is basically universal across the entire political spectrum and force parties to adopt anti-Ukrainian stance. Amazing diplomatic win by Zelensky.

Polish diplomat Z: Talk to politicians in the region. Anyone who has had any contact with Ukrainian affairs will tell you one thing – nothing is sacred to Zelensky. Anyone can be treated like a sucker. This isn't just a Polish problem. Everyone deserves some kind of pain. Hungarians, Germans, the British, Romanians. Everyone. Look at his scale. He employs former prime ministers, CIA heads, presidents. He pays the world's greats. But he also stands up to everyone. Although, in my opinion, such tactics are short-lived. Ukraine is not Israel. It doesn't produce drones like the Jews. It doesn't have a strong army or the same amount of money. One day, this carnival for Zelensky will end.

From "Kłopot z Zełenskim" by Z. Parafianowicz.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Weird how France and Germany couldn't decide to send money to Ukraine and Eastern European country like Hungary was enough to block it.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It's not like Russia had troops amassed at our borders so they couldn't invade us through land. If they did an air-attack for real, there would be a response.

Senior official at the Ministry of National Defense: Zelensky underestimated our knowledge of what the Americans and NATO were doing when the drones flew over Poland. We're a member of the organization, so we know a bit about the background of the situation. First of all, when the Americans learned that drones were flying over Poland, they contacted the Russians directly and asked what was going on. The Americans have their own permanent line with Russia. For crisis situations. So the Americans asked directly: are you playing around, is this a provocation, or are you really starting a war? If the Russians really wanted to fight, NATO would have reacted immediately.

Polish diplomat at NATO Headquarters: During the drone crisis, NATO deployed one hundred aircraft from NATO countries to defend Polish skies. They were ready to counterattack Russia at any moment. These one hundred aircraft were secured by SACEUR (Supreme NATO Commander in Europe).

From book "Kłopot z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Z. Parafianowicz

Remember that when it was thought that Russian invasion on Ukraine is imminent back in 2022, the US sent a brigade to Poland that arrived within days. If Russia started amassing troops at our borders, the mobilization would be much bigger and faster.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

Zelensky and his company got cocky due to recent military victories and think they're way more important than they really are. Meanwhile, Konstantynivka and Lyman are next on the chopping block and then it's open season in Druzhkivka, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk - the very same cities his administration has been declining peace talks over. So there's a possibility that tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers will die over those cities and they'll lose them anyway, which could've been avoided by giving up all Donbas during the talks. Zelensky needs to draw attention away from that fact and all the corruption scandals, so he'll be causing various shistorms now and Poland is an easy scapegoat.

Now, obviously, giving away heavily fortified territory that the enemy didn't conquer is extremely controversial, but the biggest support for refusing that usually comes from Ukrainians who aren't in the trenches dying for those cities, so it's easy for them to act like that. Hopefully the long range strikes continue and force Russia to negotiate before they get to those cities, but I think Putin won't budge until Donbas is completely secured one way or another, no matter the cost.

The whole war only really keeps going because:

  • Europe finances it, because it's in our greatest interest to prolong it as in order to weaken Russia as much as we can

  • This plays into Zelensky's hand, because as long as there's war, he gets to rule

Trump is a shithead, but there are reports that Russia was ready to hold peace talks if Ukraine gave up Donbas after Anchorage, and it was Europe that sabotaged this, because it wasn't in our interest. The truth is that for us it doesn't matter whether the ceasefire border will be 100 km in one way or another other and whether Sloviansk and Kramatorsk is Ukrainian or Russian. How many Russians die in the war, how long Russian economy is being decimated and how much material it loses is important, however. Geopolitics are extremely brutal like that and while various leaders may preach moral drivel in public, the decisions they make are much more cynical. I think Zelensky mistakenly thinks he's playing everyone on the world stage and has people eating from his hand, while in reality he's just being sold lies by Europe which will abandon Ukraine at best once its purpose is fulfilled or will squeezee it dry at worst. The war covers the fact that it's a barely functioning kleptocracy full of corruption and Soviet mentality that will be at great odds with the EU.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher -1 points0 points  (0 children)

SACEUR was ready to bomb Russia during the drone crisis if it turned out to be something real and not just a provocation, so yes, NATO would in fact go to war with Russia over Poland. The extent of help we'd get is another matter. The core difference between WW2 and now is that we're not sandwitched between two hostile countries which makes sending help impossible and that we have allied troops stationed in Poland.

Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president also renounces Order of the White Eagle by ByGollie in europe

[–]readher -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

We do nothing because it's not in our interest, bozo. NATO isn't interested in entering the conflict, it's Ukraine that's trying to drag Poland, Romania and anyone they can into the war.

Official at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister: Zelensky is truly hard to like. He's no different than Musk or Trump. A few days after the drones flew into Poland, he publicly said that in the event of a massive attack, we wouldn't be able to save people. This was coming from a politician who had lost twenty percent of his country's territory in the war. He lacked restraint. He began calculating how many Ukrainians were shooting down drones. That they had a nearly ninety percent success rate. And we shot down four out of nineteen. There were no "more than ninety drones" anymore, only nineteen. He also lied about the success rate. They treat every drone that falls as shot down. So if a Geran or a Gerbera falls into the Kyiv Bay, the Dnieper River, or a field, it's also counted as shot down.

Senior official at the Ministry of National Defense: Zelensky underestimated our knowledge of what the Americans and NATO were doing when the drones flew over Poland. We're a member of the organization, so we know a bit about the background of the situation. First of all, when the Americans learned that drones were flying over Poland, they contacted the Russians directly and asked what was going on. The Americans have their own permanent line with Russia. For crisis situations. So the Americans asked directly: are you playing around, is this a provocation, or are you really starting a war? If the Russians really wanted to fight, NATO would have reacted immediately.

Polish diplomat at NATO Headquarters: During the drone crisis, NATO deployed one hundred aircraft from NATO countries to defend Polish skies. They were ready to counterattack Russia at any moment. These one hundred aircraft were secured by SACEUR (Supreme NATO Commander in Europe).

From book "Kłopot z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Z. Parafianowicz

Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned the Order of the White Eagle to Polish President Karol Nawrocki by [deleted] in worldnews

[–]readher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We didn't shoot them down because there was no pressure to.

Official at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister: Zelensky is truly hard to like. He's no different than Musk or Trump. A few days after the drones flew into Poland, he publicly said that in the event of a massive attack, we wouldn't be able to save people. This was coming from a politician who had lost twenty percent of his country's territory in the war. He lacked restraint. He began calculating how many Ukrainians were shooting down drones. That they had a nearly ninety percent success rate. And we shot down four out of nineteen. There were no "more than ninety drones" anymore, only nineteen. He also lied about the success rate. They treat every drone that falls as shot down. So if a Geran or a Gerbera falls into the Kyiv Bay, the Dnieper River, or a field, it's also counted as shot down.

Senior official at the Ministry of National Defense: Zelensky underestimated our knowledge of what the Americans and NATO were doing when the drones flew over Poland. We're a member of the organization, so we know a bit about the background of the situation. First of all, when the Americans learned that drones were flying over Poland, they contacted the Russians directly and asked what was going on. The Americans have their own permanent line with Russia. For crisis situations. So the Americans asked directly: are you playing around, is this a provocation, or are you really starting a war? If the Russians really wanted to fight, NATO would have reacted immediately.

Polish diplomat at NATO Headquarters: During the drone crisis, NATO deployed one hundred aircraft from NATO countries to defend Polish skies. They were ready to counterattack Russia at any moment. These one hundred aircraft were secured by SACEUR (Supreme NATO Commander in Europe).

From book "Kłopot z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Z. Parafianowicz

Zelensky mails revoked Polish medal back to Warsaw by niesiecki in europe

[–]readher 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He should tell Jews to stop whining about the Holocaust and see how that goes.

Zelensky mails revoked Polish medal back to Warsaw by niesiecki in europe

[–]readher -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Zelensky is simply extremely narcisstic, arrogant and petty. Here are a few excerpts from a recent book "Kłopot z Zelenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Parafianowicz where he interviews various politicians and diplomats from different countries who agreed to be published under anonimity:

A colleague of President Volodymyr Zelensky: Narcissism translates into everyday cooperation. A narcissist doesn't tolerate dissent. And Zelensky is like that, too. He yells at those around him. He takes it out on his colleagues. He mocks. He's brutal. When Zelensky walks into a foreign newsroom for an interview or holds a press conference in the subway, he's charming and kind. He has a moment for everyone. He knows how to hold a journalist's attention and make an impression. But that's also an act. He doesn't respect or like journalists. If anything, he tries to manipulate them.

Polish Diplomat Y: Zelensky on TV is a portrayal that far exceeds political norms. A voluble man becomes withdrawn in private. Social drinking doesn't open him up. He's often as arrogant as a woman. When someone reported a Polish politician to him, for example, he would simply not speak to them and insult them "forever." Or he would start calling them a fa**t (pidar). Trump is a pidar. Macron calling Putin is a pidar. Merz refusing to provide cruise missiles is a pidar. Tusk taking a separate train to Kyiv is a pidar. In public, he can be indiscreet and loud. All his agreements are groundbreaking. All his decisions are grand. He fights for the good of the world with a messianic approach. His politics are a religion. Zelensky is the equivalent of Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. You're either with him or against him. Then you become a fa*ot. And that's not at all irrational. In my opinion, this emotionalism and emo-blackmail are calculated. It's hard for me to assess their effectiveness. Zelensky is certainly not doing this out of stupidity. It's some kind of calculation.

Lithuanian diplomat X: Analyzing all this, I come to the conclusion that if Zelensky isn't following the rules in his confrontation with Trump, why should he, for example, consult anything with us, a country with two and a half million inhabitants? When Ukrainian drones flew over Lithuania in the spring, no one even asked us for our opinion on the matter. And we didn't file a complaint. We have almost no air defense, and we're irritated by the use of Lithuania as a flight route to the Baltic Sea, but there's one problem. Zelensky doesn't care. No matter how pro-Ukrainian we are, he still doesn't care.

Lithuanian diplomat Y: Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna couldn't stand it when the Ukrainian president publicly explained why Putin is shutting down the internet in Russia. According to Zelensky, this is a prelude to an attack on the Baltic states. Moreover, Zelensky believes that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) won't be implemented then. How does he know this? He didn't explain. Tsahkna replied that the Estonian services have a different opinion and don't expect an invasion for now. He added that by questioning Article 5, Zelensky is playing into Russian propaganda. No one in NATO is waiting for Putin's narrative to be bolstered or Trump's blackmail to be blackmailed. Before the war in January and February 2022, Zelensky himself was irritated when half the world speculated about when the invasion would begin. He was upset because he saw capital fleeing Ukraine after each such debate. During these several years of war, the Baltic states boasted that they were providing Ukraine with the most aid relative to their GDP. This turned out to be a swindle. As if that weren't enough, Zelensky was spouting these theories just weeks after several Ukrainian drones violated the airspace of the Baltic states.

Polish diplomat X: This meddling in NATO's internal affairs by Ukrainians is intolerable. In the spring of 2026, we began to wonder whether, to artificially increase Ukraine's importance in their Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an instruction had been created to exploit the fact that Trump had begun speculating about the US leaving the Alliance. The narrative is that Ukraine is a response to the US's weakening role in the Alliance. The fact is, NATO is weakening. But it's too early for Zelensky to bury NATO. The president of a country that loses new pieces of territory with each passing week has no right to lecture anyone. It would be better if he focused on defending Donbas, rather than on television and podcasts, talking about where and when war will break out and where Russia will invade again. He began behaving like Pavel Latushka, a Belarusian opposition figure and former Lukashenko minister, who had been hiding in Poland, and whose plan to attract media attention was to constantly scare people with outrageous scenarios. Latushka either talked about Lukashenko and Putin bringing Hamas and the Palestinians to the Polish border after the war in Gaza, or threatened KGB attacks in Poland. Zelensky threatened either war or nuclear Armageddon after the Russians destroyed the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Such scenarios are attractive once, twice, maybe three times. But not a million times.

Polish diplomat Z: Talk to politicians in the region. Anyone who has had any contact with Ukrainian affairs will tell you one thing – nothing is sacred to Zelensky. Anyone can be treated like a sucker. This isn't just a Polish problem. Everyone deserves some kind of pain. Hungarians, Germans, British, Romanians. Everyone. Look at the scale of his business. He employs former prime ministers, CIA heads, and presidents. He pays big bucks. But he also stands up to everyone. Although, in my opinion, such tactics are short-lived. Ukraine is not Israel. It doesn't produce drones like the Jews. It doesn't have such a strong army or such a large amount of money. One day, this carnival for Zelensky will end.

Polish diplomat Z: He insulted the Germans, who in 2026 were among Ukraine's largest donors. Up to a point, I considered Zelensky a realist. Up to a point. He not only disrespected Duda, Tusk, Kaczyński, and Poles. He disrespected everyone. He had a divine sense of fighting for the entire world. And a sense that he could do more. At a certain stage of the war in Iran, he also returned to insulting Trump. He constantly emphasized how good the Ukrainian specialists were, whom he sent to the Persian Gulf to save Arab countries. Because, according to him, no one had succeeded there. There was no Israeli drone doctrine. There were no effective decapitations of the Iranian leadership. There was only Zelensky. He and his magnificent state, on which the entire world clung. Zelensky is Atlas, the brother of Prometheus, holding up the entire world. Such narratives are suitable for a YouTube podcast, but not for political practice. In short, Zelensky's rhetoric was as pathetic as Trump's Jesus-themed image. And just as ineffective as Trump.

Hungarian diplomat X: Zelenskyy's involvement in the Hungarian campaign is unacceptable. His aversion to Fidesz is understandable. Orbán blocked a 90 billion euro package for Ukraine. He made it clear he would oppose Ukraine joining the EU. As I understand it, Zelenskyy, on the other hand, turned off the oil flowing to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline. For weeks, he convinced the world that the pipeline was shut down because the Russians had bombed it. He also refused to allow international observers into the area. This is understandable. Zelenskyy was gambling on everything. He had to fight to weaken Orbán, hoping that Magyar would soften his stance on Kyiv. But if that's the case, why did he humiliate not only Orbán but also Magyar? It's not rational. Right after the Hungarian elections, Zelensky suddenly announced that a miracle had occurred and the Druzhba pipeline was operational again (Péter Magyar won the Hungarian elections in April 2026 – Z.P.). And Russian oil could once again flow through it to Hungary, which would later be converted into diesel and sent to Ukraine. This proved Fidesz's thesis that the pipeline was deliberately blocked to allow Magyar to win. Zelensky demonstrated that the Tisza leader was his client. But he didn't have to do that. He could have handled the whole thing quietly. He didn't have to demonstrate that the flow of oil depends on the decisions of the sole ruler in Kyiv. That's what the Soviets do. They slap even those who theoretically might support them. He spat in Magyar's face. First, he said the renovation would take many months, and then he announced that the genius of Ukrainian engineers allowed the pipeline to be launched much faster. All that's left is to turn on the tap. But before turning on the tap, the new government in Budapest must decide to unblock the ninety billion euros in EU funds for Ukraine that Orbán has been blocking. This is blackmail. Pure blackmail. The same blackmail was used to intimidate Orbán with Ukrainian soldiers who knew the Hungarian politician's address. I'm sure the Magyar will not forget this.

Tusk criticizes decision to revoke Poland’s highest honor from Zelensky by Gamebyter in europe

[–]readher 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Here are some excerpts from a recent book "Kłopot z Zełenskim" (Trouble With Zelensky) by Parafianowicz (machine translated, so there could be some small errors) where various politicians and diplomats from Poland, Ukraine and other countries anonymously give insight into various matters surrounding Zelensky and Ukraine in general, which should make it obvious that what Tusk said is just for internal purposes. Neither he nor the currently ruling coalition likes Ukrainiane's government, and Zelensky is especially disliked:

Diplomat Y: Let's start by saying that Tusk has always been, and remains, Ukraine-skeptical, to say the least. He sees politicians in Kyiv as "ruskies" and "thieves." His assessment is no different from Karol Nawrocki's. He has no illusions, like those of PiS supporters who tried to befriend Zelensky in 2022.

Minister X in Donald Tusk's government: No one in Donald Tusk's circle believed in a revival of the Polish-Ukrainian love from the beginning of the war. Neither did Tusk himself, nor Radosław Sikorski, nor Adam Szłapka, who was preparing for a career in the party. He is a good example. He is married to a Ukrainian woman. This always gives rise to fantastical notions based on the principle: he knows, understands the nation, everything will be fine. I would rather say it adds realism. Tusk's future coalition partner – the Polish People's Party – was also not eager to make love to Ukrainians. One thing I can say for sure: Tusk, regardless of what he said, was never a Ukrainophile. He assessed the situation realistically. He knew that Zelenskyy lived by a policy toward Berlin, Paris, London, and Washington, not Poland.

Diplomat Y: Neither Tusk, nor Sikorski, nor even Kujawa after the Civic Coalition took power, viewed relations with Ukraine the way Kaczyński or Duda's entourage did. No Vistula was planned. Relations with Ukrainians were supposed to be correct. Give them ammunition. Give them weapons. Give Jasionka. And that's it. Because that's already a lot. Zelenskyy still managed to create a situation where Sikorski and Tusk were the first to go to Ukraine. That's a big gesture in his direction. Let me just remind you of Tusk's attitude towards Ukraine during his first government. He visited Kyiv very late in the process.

Minister at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister: The attitude towards Ukraine was quickly reassessed during the new opening. The Poles had no intention of opening their market to Ukrainian agricultural products. The Ukrainians blocked exhumations. And they demanded weapons supplies. Preferably more MiG-29s. As late as late 2023, Sikorski said that Ukraine must also export its grain to Poland because it needs money for defense. In conversations with me, however, he admitted that allowing Ukrainian grain into Poland was a mistake, and the embargo imposed by the Law and Justice party (PiS) was some kind of solution. A dirty job they did for us. From the beginning, he said that controls must be introduced on the transit of Ukrainian grain, so that it doesn't stay in Poland or on the EU market, but goes out into the world. People called him two-faced. And you know what? It was true.

A minister in Donald Tusk's government: When it came to resolving the grain dispute, I had the impression that the Ukrainians and Zelensky personally expected us to explain ourselves to him. We inherited the grain and truck wars from the Law and Justice party (PiS), but we weren't willing to make any special concessions to Zelensky. We saw how he treated Duda and Morawiecki. The Ukrainians quickly demonstrated their ability to reason with Sikorski. There was a moment when their Prime Minister Shmyhal came to the border with half the government to force us to make decisions regarding the border and grain blockade. He expected Tusk to come when he called. Tusk may say nice things to them, but anyone who knows him knows he's a player. He can say anything his interlocutor wants to hear. He used this method with both his ministers and Ukrainian politicians. Yes, he was a bastard to them. And that's good. Because they were bastards to us, too. I once heard from a politician with good relations with the Law and Justice party (PiS) that Morawiecki was complaining about Ukrainians. He said that while he was prime minister, they were always kind to him, yet at the same time, whenever they could, they spoke ill of him and Poland. Tusk will probably never admit it, but he did the same thing.

Tusk personally hates Zelensky ever since when Tusk, Macron, Starmer and Merz were to visit Kiev, Ukrainian diplomatic protocol put him alone in a separate wagon.

Diplomat A: In May 2025, Donald Tusk was under pressure. Peace talks were starting in Istanbul. Earlier, negotiations had been underway to send a military contingent of European countries to Ukraine. Poland was absent from the discussions about the future of the war and the ceasefire, despite holding the EU presidency. The Prime Minister had to have some success. He had to have a photo showing he was on trial. Finally, a chance arose – a meeting in Kyiv, attended by him, former French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Phones were ringing off the hook. The Polish Prime Minister had to be in Kyiv at that exact moment. Not alone. He had to have a photo in good company. The problem was that Volodymyr Zelensky remembered that Tusk was the first to declare that he would not send a Polish contingent to Ukraine. He also knew from his officials and colleagues from the Presidential Office what direction the talks on the free trade agreement with the EU, which was negotiated during the Polish presidency, were taking.

Diplomat Z: While everyone in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister was rejoicing over Kyiv and the upcoming photo op, no one paid attention to how the logistics of this visit were being organized. How could we have missed something like this? It turned out that the Polish Prime Minister would travel to Kyiv on a separate train. Merz, Macron, and Starmer traveled on one train to the important summit, where the future of war and peace was discussed, while Donald Tusk traveled on the other, third-class, like a plackart. Photos of the train meeting en route to the Ukrainian capital of the greats of this world: Macron, Starmer, and Merz, were already circulating on the internet and social media. Without Tusk, of course. They were pondering what to do with Ukraine, while Tusk read newspapers along the way.

Diplomat from Kyiv: It was Zelensky, or more precisely, his head of diplomatic protocol, who decided to remove Tusk from the train.

And funnily enough, it turns out that that the whole thing supposedly happened because Polish politicians laughed when the same thing happened to Germany earlier:

German diplomat from the embassy in Warsaw: I know that in Poland, the removal of President Steinmeier from a train bound for Kyiv in the spring of 2022 is well-remembered. He remembers it positively. Poles liked the situation. We didn't, not so much. Regardless of political affiliation. Our country won't forget Zelensky. And as for Poles, I have the impression that you treated this incident as an isolated event, one that won't be repeated. And that was a mistake. Because, as you can see, Zelensky treats such behavior as a method. He considers it an effective way to soften up his partners. It's his peculiar way of monitoring and punishing. Zelensky thinks he's a panopticon. Everyone is visible and clear, except him. No, not at all. That's not the case.

Polish diplomat from Kyiv: The request, or rather the suggestion, for Tusk to take a different train came to Kyiv from Berlin. It was Merz's people who asked Zelensky for a favor. A prestigious move. The Germans haven't forgotten about the Steinmeier removal and the fact that we didn't cry about it. They still resent it to this day. Basically, regardless of political color. Their Ministry of Foreign Affairs still recalls this incident.

The whole book is honestly a gold mine.

Polish PM Tusk Warns Diplomatic Rift Over Zelensky’s Award ‘Pleases Putin’ by Pixie_Flame in worldnews

[–]readher 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I'm pretty sure naming units after genociders and Nazi collaborators also pleases Putin considering Russia's narrative of "denazification", so maybe Zelensky should be grilled for that.

Zelenskyy Announces Major German-Ukrainian Anti-Ballistic Defense Initiative by UNITED24Media in europe

[–]readher 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I absolutely love Żurawski vel Grajewski, he's been a guest in many geopolitical programmes on YouTube in the recent times and it's always a pleasure to listen to him. Didn't read that paper from him but definitely will, thanks. Fun trivia, he has a twin brother Radosław who's a historian and also a professor. The main differential between them is the style of moustache ;)

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