#this man is on his way to a farmer's market and I can't be convinced otherwise

[kindahoping4forever]

Ash on IG Story

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

I don't get how you can support Ze in that thing?!? Or how can keep supporting him. On which side are you on???

I'm on both sides and no sides at all. Both sides are understandable but both sides fucked up.

And why shouldn't I keep supporting Ze in general?!

Was the comment okay the way he said at infront of the UN? No. But it still holds truth. The whole grain fight benefits Russia and with blocking Ukrainian grain it also helps Russia in the war because Ukraine doesn't get the money from the (non) sold grain for financing the war. Of course, this doesn't make Poland a Russian puppet or anything. Which Ze, btw, never said. His statement was misinterpreted so many times ... . He said the behaviour of some countries is helping to "set the stage for a Moscow actor". Which is essential true, even thought Ze voiced it the completely wrong way.

Maybe Ze actually meant countries like Hungary. Maybe he didn't. In the end, now it doesn't matter any longer. He fucked up royally with that statement and should have known, especially with the tension before, that people would think he talks about Poland. Which he did, with the wording he used.

And if he really feels that way he should have told Duda in private. Send a strong worded WhatsApp or a voice message rant. But don't say something like that during the UNGA, infront of everyone. Especially after Poland just gave a support speech for you.

Same goes for Duda. You can't give a support speech infront of UNGA and be all about "We have to support Ukraine and show empathy and sympathy" and everything ... and then say in an interview that Ukraine is like a drowning man when they literally fight for their survival (because, hello!, genocidial war). And again, yes, Duda's metaphor was fitting but the wording, timing and place was just wrong. Tell Ze to get it together and get a grip in private and convince him, you only wanna help but you can't if the farmers at home start a rebellion in private. But don't take it to a public stage (applies to both of them).

In the end, I think way before Duda and Ze got involved, several people fucked up and said stuff that's not okay. And some point it was no longer about a problem that can be solved by negotiations and talks. It became personal and emotional and some people's ego and pride was way too big.

In a recent interview Ze mentioned that he understand perfectly well the tension the upcoming election causes and this is thr root for certain things happening. Problem is, as it seems so, not everyone gets that. And it started to escalate and escalate until Duda and Ze got involved into the mess other people caused.

That the media or journalists or other politicans are now fueling the fire with fake news, false informations, statements that can be easily taken out of the context ("we send no more weapons") and so on, is not helping at all.

Both sides are in a difficult position. If Poland blocks the grain from their market, they protect their farmers but hurt the Ukrainian economy badly and Ukraine doesn't have the money for the war, which helps Russia.

If Poland allows the grain on their market, Ukraine does get the money, but it hurts the Polish economy badly which causes problems with their farmers and the support for Ukraine in general, which again helps Russia.

So yeah, I understand both sides. I also understand both President's for trying to protect their countries interests and putting them first. Because for Ukraine, this is about surviving and their existence. And for Poland this is about Ukraine and their survival and existence. If Poland allows this now, this could hurt the support in the long term because people could be against it. But if Poland blocks it, it hurts the support right now and (at least in the moment) also the support long term, because of the fighting.

Ze and Duda need to come together, hug it out and find a solution that's fine for both sides and doesn't hurt the support or the friendship.

It shouldn't be "us against them". It should be "us against Russia".

All that being said: Ze fucked up. Yes. So? He's also just human. That man is going through hell for more than 500 days and has probably trauma we can't even imagine. And one bad thing shouldn't erase the 100 good things he did and said. It was Ze, after all, who worked a lot to strenghten that friendship and make these two countries closer again. And he did a lot of other good things (isn't it funny how quickly people forgot the remembrance service with Duda that was literally historical?!).

I wish people would give Ze a break and don't always expect him to be some mystical creature who is the definition of perfection and never makes mistakes.

And honestly, give him some slack. The man travelled to the UN in the middle of a war were he had to face Russia and a bunch of pro-Russian countries and their bullshit, had to try to get UN and UNSC involved, giving speeches in English all the time, holding important negotiations all while preparing the visit to Biden. And God knows what else was going on behind the scenes (Ukraine getting bombed, the war, Olena hurting herself, ...).

Critize him all you want (in a fair way!) But geeez. Let the man breathe and don't cancel him every time he isn't picture perfect.

In the end - we need more of that again: