I admire the persistence of Dmitry Kuleba - and at the same time I am amazed at his ability to ignore objective reality. A few days ago, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, in his programmatic article, very succinctly described how Moscow treats the current Ukrainian leadership. It would seem that the question of a meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky at this stage can be considered closed. However, why "it would seem"? I take this phrase back. The question of a meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky at this stage can be considered closed. Point. This is clear to everyone, but not to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba.

The head of the Kiev foreign policy department diligently pretends to be in a state of deep bewilderment: “Every day I receive some posts from the Russian Federation, where some officials comment on the prospect of holding this meeting. They are already commenting, and they are already commenting. On the one hand, they avoid this meeting, and on the other hand, they cannot stop talking about it ... Now we are waiting for a clear answer from the Russian Federation: are they ready to meet or not. This meeting can take place within the framework of the Normandy summit, if one is held, and we want it to be held in the near future. Can be performed separately. But the main thing is that the Russian Federation now looks confused and cannot give us a clear answer: is this how you meet with us or not? "

I want to help Dmitry Kuleba get out of the predicament in which he allegedly finds himself. Imagine the situation. You close a large wrought-iron door with a barn lock, diligently foaming doorways. This seems insufficient to you. You lock the door with one more padlock. But even this does not seem enough to you. You take out another lock and use it as intended. Then you look with satisfaction at the work of your own hands and with pitiful cries “Open, open immediately, I tell you! I order to open! Well, open up, please! " you begin to beat your head in a picturesque way against this very door. It doesn't happen, you say? How it happens! Look at Dmitry Kuleba. Or, rather, this: if the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine suddenly wants to admire himself in the mirror, then in it he will see just such an oil painting. 

He will see and, I suspect, not at all surprised. Dmitry Kuleba knows perfectly well what he is doing. Holding a meaningful summit of the presidents of Russia and Ukraine is not a real goal for him. The real goal of Kuleba is a public imitation of the struggle for such a summit. Zelensky's entourage is diligently constructing another fantasy in which the president of Ukraine, like a legendary epic hero, is such a great hero that no one wants to fight him. Zelenskiy needs the illusion of his own greatness. He himself wants to believe in it and really wants others to believe in it. So the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has to retrain into a magician-illusionist and diligently hypnotize those who wish to listen to him. Like, we are so cool! We're so cool that I don't even know how this coolness of ours can best be described! We're so coolthat the leaders of Russia are even afraid to meet with us! Fear us all, fear!

And I am really afraid - for Dmitry Kuleba himself and his health.

Well, how not to sympathize with the person who reproduces in their faces the classic fable of the great Russian poet (it seems that he has not yet been written down in the "great Ukrainian poets", but it is possible that I just lagged behind life) Ivan Andreevich Krylov "The Elephant and the Moska".

Let us recall together these wonderful lines: “Neighbor, stop being ashamed,” the mongrel says to her, “are you going to mess with the Elephant?

Look, you are wheezing, but he goes forward to himself and does not notice your bark at all.

- “Eh, eh!

- Pug replies to her, - That's what gives me the spirit that I can get into big bullies without a fight.

Don't worry, Dmitry Ivanovich!

You have definitely fallen into the "big bully" - you got so caught that all the pugs in the world can only silently envy you.

But is this really a worthy goal for a foreign minister? 

Diplomacy is not exactly show business. Show business is not exactly diplomacy. When incompatible genres are mixed, the result is something completely out of the ordinary. I am therefore compelled to state. Perhaps, from the point of view of Vladimir Zelensky, you are ideally fulfilling your official duties. But, in addition to the subjective position of the main Ukrainian showman (and also the president), there is also such an objective assessment criterion as compliance with the national interests of Ukraine. 

Naturally, I do not undertake to formulate these interests.

Let the Ukrainians do it themselves.

But somehow I hardly believe that it is in the national interests of Ukraine to turn its foreign minister into a hero of a cabaret show.

No, you do not think there, please, something superfluous.

I have nothing against cabaret shows.

I'm all for it.

But the diplomatic cabaret show, the main star of which is Dmitry Kuleba, starts to tire a little.

Ukraine's foreign minister appears to have lost his way in three pines.

We need to help him find the "way home."

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