Ukrainian ultra-patriots and certain officials of the Kiev regime initiated a holy war over borscht.

Being neither one nor the other, I am ready with all the fibers of my soul to support this long-overdue idea in every possible way - however, with one fundamentally important proviso.

What today's Ukraine really needs is the abundance of borscht in the dishes of its citizens.

But alas, the long-suffering neighboring country is not being offered this at all, but yet another dull propaganda campaign.

A few days ago, I had lunch in a classic Moscow eatery, which somehow miraculously preserved the spirit of Soviet times: waitresses in kokoshniks, lamps on tables in the style of the 50s, and so on and so forth.

Having looked through the menu, I immediately realized what exactly I want for a snack: bacon, bacon and again bacon.

Conceived - done.

Less than ten minutes later, they brought me a dish with the proud name "lard in Ukrainian".

And do you know what I did with the product brought to me?

Believe it or not: I ate it.

I did not demand in an angry tone to urgently call the head waiter.

I did not tell him that this was wrong, unpatriotic and politically incorrect.

I didn’t shout to all of Ivanovskaya that in Moscow it’s impossible to serve “lard in Ukrainian”, but only “lard in Russian”.

I repeat, I just ate what they brought me, and, frankly, I got a fair amount of gastronomic pleasure from it.

Since I have already begun to confess my gastronomic sins, I should probably follow this path to the end.

When I smell the aroma of a dish, which in some Moscow restaurants is customary to call "Ukrainian borscht", even in this case I cannot refrain from actions that are dubious either politically or gastronomically.

I confess that I again do not demand to rename anything.

I'm just asking you to bring me more garlic donuts.

Does all this make me a fan of the ideals of the "Maidan" and the "revolution of dignity", or a passionate supporter of the policies of President Vladimir Zelensky, or, God forbid, former President Petro Poroshenko?

I am sure that some gentlemen in Kiev will be very seriously surprised by my answer, but no, it does not.

I do not see any internal contradiction between my extremely negative attitude to the political course of the authorities of the neighboring country and my love for Ukrainian national dishes.

Are these dishes really Ukrainian?

From my point of view, experts in the history of gastronomy, “couch analysts” and fans of social networks can discuss this fascinating topic for as long as they want.

But state people - officials and politicians - should focus their attention, albeit on less elevated, but on the more important issues for real people.

Kiev statesmen may again not believe me, but there are such questions in their country.

Ukrainian public finances are singing romances with a hoarse voice.

The national economy is teetering on the edge of a cliff.

International financial organizations, in exchange for promises of another bailout loan tranche, are putting forward more and more offensive and onerous demands.

In other words, ordinary citizens of Ukraine have fewer and fewer opportunities to enjoy conventional borscht and conventional lard.

And what are Kiev politicians and officials doing at this time?

It is known for what: the struggle for the "ideals of the national borscht".

Minister of Culture and Information Policy Alexander Tkachenko solemnly proclaims his firm intention to add borscht to a certain "National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Elements".

Ukrainian diplomats and their other halves frantically edit the national versions of Wikipedia in their host countries and mercilessly obliterate from them indications that borscht may have not only Ukrainian, but also Russian origin.

Do not consider me a cynic, but I see a direct interdependence: the worse and harder the life of ordinary citizens of Ukraine, the louder they are told in cheerful voices: “But it was we who invented borscht, not the Russians!

We will not give the aggressor country the right to be considered the authors of this solid contribution to world culture! "

Won't you give it back?

Well, don't give it up!

Enjoy your (not entirely clear where it came from) right to the fullest!

Enjoy, but just keep in mind: talking about the "purity of the ideals of the national borscht" to satisfy the human body's need for food is impossible in any way.

Any government is obliged to please its population with bread and circuses.

If you look at the situation in Ukraine from this angle, then if I were in the place of Kiev politicians and officials, I would start to worry very seriously.

There is less and less bread, and the shows more and more resemble the theater of the absurd.

How long will the Ukrainian people endure all this?

Will he start brushing the current queens of Kiev politics off the political chessboard?

And do the Ukrainian servants of the people, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, understand that the case smells either of kerosene or of sour "political borscht"?

The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.