Dear Europeans

By Aleksandra Kovaleva

I don’t know why, but I want to appeal to European politicians and diplomats. I know they will never read it, but I still want to write it.

So.

Dear Europeans,

As an activist of protests in Kiev, I want to confess. I have never liked the word “Euromaydan” (‪#‎Євромайдан‬). Especially since the protests have had nothing to do with Europe or the EU for more than two and a half months.

Two months ago, I was still able to justify this “Euro” naming with “European” values. Or rather, universal human values, which have lately been usurped by Europe from amok Russia, Belarus and other “North Koreas” in Asia.

But today, even the “European values” concept is gone as an argument. We skipped the “European” values. Because I cannot imagine a Europe where people would be able to fight and die for freedom and dignity. These concepts seem to have no use anymore in sluggish well-fed Europe.

Living in Europe, I saw many protests by Europeans. The very first day of protests, “civilized” people of Europe were beating storefronts, torching cars, and, moreover, they were looting as well. Ukrainians on Maidan peacefully stood on the square for long freezing months, despite the draconian actions of the authorities. So tell me, who has more right to talk about civility? We or you? I do not understand how you, dear European politicians, even dare to talk about extremism in Ukraine.

Following the protests in the EU, I came to the conclusion that almost all of your protests were provoked by the same issue. Money. Europeans have always lack money. For money, they go to the streets; for money, they beat cars; and even a general expression of quiet dissatisfaction is also about money, and things connected with it. Apparently, it is now the main ‘European’ value.

And while people are dying in Ukraine, fighting against injustice itself, fighting for their simple dignity, in Europe dignity has been already forgotten. Not because Europeans don’t have it; they just don’t need it. They don’t use it. Dignity is gone.

So, dear European politicians, why do you think you have the right to teach us something? Thanks to the horror in Ukraine, we finally see what you’re worth.

Different people standing now on Maidan–the intelligentsia, small and medium businesses, the remnants of the Ukrainian middle class, students and villagers–who are impressing me the most. Young and old villagers–they die fighting for what? For justice and freedom. In the 21st century in the middle of Europe. For fucking justice and freedom. And it does not matter anymore who started all this, who is right and who is wrong and whether there is any sense in all what is going on. The Monster uses tanks against people, his troops are shooting girls with Kalashnikov rifles, and those villagers who were never interested in politics, they arrived in a strange city with their pitchforks and shovels to die here for some sort of ephemeral dignity and some theoretical freedom that Europe has long since forgotten. Tell me, are your European burghers able to do something like this?

We are expecting your sanctions for our monsters, but you do not want to do it. After all, your economy is in trouble, and the money of our oligarchs helps you not to die. And you, dear European politicians, you do not care that this money was stolen from Ukrainians, from me personally, as well.

At the same time you try not to see the simple fact that you have yourself brought your economy to collapse, trying to revive stillborn financial system with new loans. You are guilty in your crisis, not Ukrainians. But you take the stolen money from the hands of Ukrainian gangsters, and when the Ukrainian people say “What is going on, dear Europeans? These bandits are killing us now over this stolen money you keep in your banks,” you, dear European politicians, cannot even freeze it. I am not even asking you to give it back. So who are you?

Yanukovych fucks you all this time. He fucks us also, but we at least try to resist. But you, dear European politicians, seem to even like it. Otherwise, why are you calling again and again to initiate any dialogue with this thug? You know that he was twice in jail, for years there he was with thieves and murderers, so his mental system mutated to psychopathy (I don’t even talk about the fact that he was in jail for real crimes). You know what he did in Donetsk after prison. But you keep talking about the peace negotiations. The Monster kills people, and you keep saying that he is legally elected. I will not talk about bribes and violations during elections. I’ll only note that Hitler was legally elected. And Stalin also had “elections.” Oops, sorry, what am I talking about? You had your arrangements with those guys too, didn’t you? Without any concerns of shame. You have good experience with collaborating with different dictators.

You know, in Ukraine we say, “Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes all alone.” And sometimes, as in your case, instead of the wisdom, age brings stagnation. You’re too old Europe. Mentally, historically. For hundred years you are not able to move actively, drowsing in your warm and wet swamp of comfort. Long time ago you fought for freedom / equality / fraternity, and then immediately you rested on your laurels. Over the years the laurels rotted, but you’re still not moving. You moved from human values to mercenary ones and feigned loyalty to burgeoning dictatorships. You are sleeping in your comfort. Comfort is good, I am happy for all of you, really. But still, you are sleeping.

You’re too old, you’re blind to what is happening, you are deaf and cannot hear the screams. You are no longer able to move your ass. But most of all you don’t want to help anyone as long as it does not bring you profit, but you pretend to be very important guys and you demand respect. Just like old people do. So drink your good wine, eat your eco-products, trade in the car every five years and do not move your ass.

Now, dear European politicians, you are free to accuse me of ageism.

While you waddle from side to side, feigning activity, the new country rises. Rises in the struggle for real values. And if we will rise (with or without you), we with pleasure will welcome you here and show you, dear European politics, what real human values are.

P.S.
I often go to Europe. And I always feel there that I am Ukrainian. It’s not too cool. Whatever anyone says, still it is cooler to be French, English, Italian or German. Ukrainian? Ah, not far from Russia? Vodka balalaika? European citizens intensify how not cool is feels to be Ukrainian. “You have no normal cheese in Ukraine,” “How can you drink your wine?,” “How do you live without normal meat?,” “Your corruption is disaster,” “God, cars here are so expensive and your men are so ugly,” “How do you live with such bad roads?” This is what European citizens say and they are right about everything. And I can only nod sadly, and feel like a representative of the Third World. Now these complexes have vanished.

I know that from now on I will smile every time Europeans will try to talk to me about our differences. Drink your good wine and buy your new cars, dear European politicias. We just have quite different values in life.

That’s all.
Sorry for my English.

And yes, thank you, Poland. We hear you and we love you.

Edited by Robin Rohrback