Ukrainian citizens abroad should not support Russian cultural products, and EU countries, particularly Poland, should not provide venues for performers who promote the “Russian world.”
Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, emphasized this point in a comment to Ukrinform. He also stressed that the incident involving the display of a red and black flag at a concert by Belarusian rapper Maks Korzh in Warsaw could have been a deliberate provocation in Russia’s favor.
“I don’t understand why, in the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, many Ukrainians are drawn to Russian-language songs, to this post-imperial cultural product. This is a kind of misunderstanding of the current situation, an inadequate sense of reality, because it is with the Russian language that they are coming to kill us,” the Ambassador stressed, drawing attention to the participation of many Ukrainians in Korzh’s concert in Warsaw.
According to the Ukrainian diplomat, in this way, Ukrainians are “indirectly supporting aggressive actions” against Ukraine.
He drew attention to Korzh himself, who allegedly advocates for peace but at the same time gives concerts in Russia, earning money there, thereby effectively supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Bodnar also expressed his incomprehension as to why Poland and other EU countries still allow performers who promote the “Russian world,” on which Putin’s aggressive policy is based, to perform on their territory.
“This is an element of Russian propaganda, no matter what these performers call themselves. I believe that they have no place in the EU, they do not profess any European values,“ the Ukrainian diplomat stressed.
He added that the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland has repeatedly appealed to Polish institutions regarding other Russian and Russian-speaking performers who promote the ”Russian world” so that they are not provided with venues for their activities.
“I also urge Ukrainians not to attend such concerts, and to the Polish side not to allow such provocateurs to perform in Poland,” the Ukrainian diplomat stressed.
Referring to the most scandalous incident at the National Stadium in Warsaw during Korzh’s concert, when a red and black flag, which is negatively perceived in Poland, was displayed, the Ambassador stressed that this was a “complete misunderstanding of the sensitivity of Polish society” to this issue or “a deliberate provocation” in favor of Russia.
He stressed that it was the images of the red and black flag that caused the most negative reaction in Polish society.
“Because of the actions of one person, a shadow has been cast on all Ukrainians, and some of them are now subject to deportation from Poland,” the Ambassador noted.
According to him, if Ukrainian citizens violated public order, they are subject to sanctions under Polish law.
“If Poland has decided that deportation is the best way to prevent such actions, then there can be no objections from the Ukrainian side,” the diplomat said.
Bodnar emphasized that the incident with the red and black flag at the stadium had dealt “a very serious blow to Polish-Ukrainian relations and created a negative backdrop for Ukrainians living in Poland.”
The Ambassador believes that the conscious or unconscious participation of Ukrainian citizens in such actions is “part of Russian propaganda, and they fit into the activities of the aggressor, who is trying to drive a wedge between Ukrainians and Poles.”
According to Ukrinform, following the riots and provocative behavior at a concert by Belarusian rapper Maks Korzh in Warsaw last Saturday, Polish authorities decided to expel 63 foreigners from the country, including 57 Ukrainian citizens and six Belarusians. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on Poles to respond to possible violations and provocations, but “everyone must be very sensitive so as not to succumb to Russian manipulation and provocation.” The Polish Prime Minister stressed that it is in the national interest to prevent Russia from achieving its goals in Ukraine, and that “the Polish-Ukrainian conflict is undoubtedly a key strategic goal of the Kremlin.”
Earlier, it was reported that a series of incidents had recently taken place in Poland that could negatively affect Poles’ attitudes toward Ukrainians. In particular, this refers to the appearance of a red and black flag at a concert by Belarusian rapper Maks Korzh in Warsaw last Saturday, which is viewed very negatively in Poland. At the concert, which was attended by tens of thousands of people, some of the young people behaved aggressively, using flares and engaging in clashes, including with security guards.
