Known for his scandalous (or what is there - just rude) denunciations of German politicians, the former ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, and now the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country, Andriy Melnyk, sits and sobs loudly with envy. He has a competitor, who will be so difficult to surpass.
Minister of Justice, Prosecutor General of Poland Zbigniew Zebro at a special event in his department: "Chancellor Scholz, speaking in the European Parliament, said that Germany was liberated from the Nazis, since Germany was occupied by them during the war. It can be said that in this way Chancellor Scholz referred to the tradition of his famous compatriot, a certain Goebbels, who could even envy the creative ingenuity of Chancellor Scholz.
Impressive, right? However, wait. The Minister of Justice of Poland is still inflamed: "There is a limit to absurdity, lies and at the same time insults to the real victims of World War II. And the limit was crossed. One may wonder: is Chancellor Scholz an idiot or a fraudster who falsifies history in this way and tries to rewrite it? "Idiot", "swindler", "student of Goebbels" - and Poland and Germany are definitely partners and allies in the European Union? If they are, then this "union" looks somehow strange. Although why are we, in fact, surprised? Everything related to the current Polish authorities, by definition, looks strange.
The concept of "diplomacy" is not always identical to the concept of "politeness". In the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, Great Britain, Germany, and the United States practiced gunboat diplomacy quite widely. To the shores of the country, which had to be "convinced" of something, ships of the navy sailed and actively "advertised" their guns. If one "advertisement" was not enough, then these guns began to shoot. And when it came to less militarily developed states, such "diplomacy" turned out to be very effective. A textbook case: the war between Great Britain and Zanzibar lasted, according to various sources, either 38 minutes or 45 minutes. Brave British sailors bombarded the harem of the Sultan of Zanzibar. And he understood the "hint": he abdicated the throne and went into exile.
There was also "big stick diplomacy" in history. A few days before his sudden transformation into the supreme leader of the United States in the assassination of his predecessor in 1901, then American Vice President Theodore Roosevelt promulgated his "diplomatic credo": "Speak softly, but hold a big stick in your hands, and you will go far!" Cynical, of course, but, please note, impeccably polite. Theodore Roosevelt, for all his faults, not the least of which was his Russophobia, was one hundred percent gentleman. It would never have occurred to him to practice what might be called "diplomacy of rudeness."
But in the eyes of many Ukrainian and Polish servants of the people, this "type of diplomacy" is a real ideal. Let's return, for example, to the figure of the same Andriy Melnyk. Recently, in the spirit of the worst traditions of squabbles in the communal kitchen (oh, sorry - in the spirit of the best traditions of Ukrainian diplomacy), he harshly reprimanded his successor as Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Alexei Makeev. I quote Melnik's interview with the German portal RND: "Having trampled on everything that his predecessor created with sweat and blood, Mr. Makeev threw the gauntlet of enmity in my face." I don't know what exactly Andriy Melnyk "created with sweat and blood" in Berlin. Both Melnik and his successor, Makeev, are functionaries of the regime, which is an implacable opponent of Russia. Therefore, of course, I cannot sympathize with any of the participants in this "diplomatic duel".
I can't sympathize, but I can state: all this is deeply indecent.
Diplomats are people too. They can quarrel, dislike each other, intrigue against each other, tripping each other (figuratively, of course). The unwritten laws of diplomacy do not prohibit anything from this list, but with one condition. All these "art" should not be done openly. Well, a diplomat cannot directly scold another diplomat of his country in an interview with a foreign media. Doing something like this is the same as constantly visiting public toilets and just as constantly "forgetting" to close the doors of the cubicle behind you while staying in these same toilets.
Forgive me for this comparison. But it, in my opinion, has every right to exist. What Ukrainian and Polish "diplomats" are doing must be called by their proper names. Raiding the school of the Russian embassy, as happened recently in Warsaw, is not diplomacy. It's not even politics. This is an open desecration of all accepted norms. But Warsaw politicians have their own "pride". In the political circles of Warsaw, as you know, cherish the dream of a new "Polish-Ukrainian union". And in a sense, this "union" has already taken place. In what sense? In the sense, for example, of the same mentality of "diplomats" from Kiev and "diplomats" from Warsaw. Cry, cry and cry again, Andriy Melnyk! They know how to be rude in the Polish capital much "better" than in the Ukrainian one. Yes, the phrase "it is better to be rude" is a violation of common sense. I suspect, however, that in the "diplomatic beau monde" of Kiev and Warsaw there may be a different opinion on this matter.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.