A glimpse of repulsion and shame

Mocking the suffering of Ukraine is the mark of a true coward

FRIDAY MORNING IN UKRAINE. I WOKE UP IN a rare moment of peace. No nighmares with bombs. No visions of Putin’s war machines. Unlike most nights, I managed to sleep. It felt like a privilege.

I was ready to publish something I had been working on for months, especially for you, my readers here on Substack: a weekly column dedicated to stories of kindness and hope. A reminder that even in the darkest moments, humanity refuses to break. I called it "Glimpse of Hope."

I was in such a good mood that my first note of the day here was a reminder to everyone not to forget to hug their loved ones. Friday would be the day when I would only talk about our heroes and hope. To show that no war will ever steal our generosity, our humanity. I was committed not to talk about Trump today.

It was already 10 PM. I was tired after a hard day, but I was taking care of the last details of the new article, the endless hunting for typos, and then I saw the video.

That meeting.

At the exact time when I was sharing a piece called "Be Proud of Your Empathy," which I had written about two years ago. Because I had already declared to myself that this would be a day without Putin. A day without Trump. A day in which I would dedicate my thoughts and words only to the unknown heroes of this country.

I was talking about empathy at the same moment its concept was being attacked by the president of the United States.

And so I completely lost the momentum to share the first "Glimpse of Hope." I need to talk about that disgusting man again.

In a single moment, everything inside me twisted. It hit me like a punch to the stomach. The same feeling I had when I was eleven years old and was knocked breathless by a blow I never saw coming. I watched the president of the United States, the supposed leader of the free world, sit in a room and humiliate a man whose country is bleeding.

He mocked him, degraded him, treated his suffering like an inconvenience. Treated his country like an inconvenience.

He knew exactly what he was doing. Because we are dealing with a sociopath.

I try to remind myself that diplomacy exists to prevent leaders from poisoning international relations with their own arrogance. But people like Trump do not care. He does not care that Ukrainian mothers carry their children through the rubble, refusing to look back because looking back means breaking. He does not care that men like that soldier, the one who would not leave his trench, now fight with less ammunition, waiting for help that may never come.

He does not care about them. He does not care about you. He does not care about anyone but himself.

And it is certainly terrifying.

What does a real leader look like?

Zelenskyy, after that very same meeting, was diplomatic enough to thank the United States. Not out of respect for the man who mocked him, but for the American people who still stand with Ukraine.

That is what honor looks like. That is what principles look like. Unlike his counterpart, Zelenskyy does not serve his own ego. He serves his people.

To my friends in America, know this: I will never confuse this despicable man called Trump with the people of your country. I know the real America, the real Americans. The America that stood with us. That sent aid, that protested, that never turned its back even when the war became old news. That America still exists.

So today, I am not publishing “Glimpse of Hope” anymore. Because there is no hope in arrogance. There is no hope in humiliation. And I need to express what is inside me because it's too hard to ignore.

But I promise you I will return next Friday with a real glimpse of humanity and hope to bring something nice to your day. Unless Zelenskyy decides to participate in another meeting in Washington... But that's quite unlikely now.

Because Ukraine is still standing. Because this soldier here is still fighting. Because history is watching, and we will not be forgotten.

Thank you for being among those who stand by Ukraine.

History won't forget.

We will never forget.

🌻

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📖 The Divine Comedian: Ukraine’s Journey Through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise is more than a book: it's my attempt to capture Ukraine’s unbreakable spirit in our darkest and brightest moments. If you want to see this war through the eyes of those who refuse to surrender, I invite you to read it. Download it for free in PDF and Kindle formats: