The Joke Was Florida. The Reality Was Crimea

We laughed, but we knew exactly what was at stake

THIS WEEK, TRUMP SAID IT AGAIN. That Ukraine should give up Crimea to get peace.

As if surrender were just another diplomatic strategy. As if peace could be made by cutting pieces off people.

Every time this is said out loud, it slips closer to becoming acceptable.

That is so absurd that in my last article, I compared it to something just as unthinkable: the United States giving up Florida.

A peninsula in the south of the country. Just like Crimea.

The warmest part of our nations. With some of the most beautiful beaches here and there.

I didn’t expect what happened next:

So many of you replied to the article saying, “Honestly, we wouldn’t mind giving Florida away.”

Some of you suggested handing it to Russia.

And somehow, against all odds, you made someone in Ukraine laugh while saying the word “Russia” out loud.

I laughed because I knew you weren’t serious. You were joking.

You were joking because Florida is currently considered a “red” state. One that played a strong role in electing the current disaster sitting in the White House.

You were joking because when given a chance to make a harmless bit of fun out of a map, you did the right thing: you took it.

And the best part is that Floridians themselves also joined the joke.

Some said they’d happily accept being transferred to Canada or Ukraine.

To Ukraine!

Imagine my surprise and my honor at the idea of receiving the sunshine state as part of my own nation!

It would be a diplomatic dream. And maybe a logistical nightmare. But still, a dream.

I mean, we’ve handled invasion, occupation, disinformation… how hard could managing Miami be?

Jokes aside (love you, Miami!), I want to say something real.

When I think about Florida, I don’t think about elections. I think about my own personal Substack statistics I see here in my dashboard.

And they tell me something incredible: I have at this very moment almost 2,000 subscribers in Florida alone.

Two thousand people reading this from one single state, following this journal made from a war-torn country across the ocean.

Some of them even support me with paid subscriptions. Imagine that. A double honor. An honor inside the honor.

They come from cities like Miami, Orlando, Gainesville, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Jacksonville, Lakeland, and so many others.

And when someone mentions their city, not just in Florida by everywhere, I point it out on Google Maps every time I can.

I zoom in. I walk some random streets virtually. I look at the windows, the sidewalks, the trees. It’s my way of connecting.

It’s my lifetime obsession with geography. But now, it’s also a way I stay close to you.

The places where so much warmth comes from.

I’ve spent a good part of my life traveling the world through my screens. So when someone says they live in Altamonte Springs or Ocala, there’s a good chance I know where it is on the map.

And I’ll never forget the moment a reader here wrote from Saint Petersburg.

For a second, I froze. Saint Petersburg?

The one in Russia? The city where the dictator was born?

But no. This one was different.

This St. Petersburg was a piece of paradise just by the Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Trump! Your madness will not make me call the gulf otherwise.

If Florida were ever to become part of Ukraine…. and I’m not proposing anything, of course, rest assured, no one will ever try to rename the gulf. With our full respect.

Florida is also the place of one of my dreams.

Like millions around the world, I’ve always dreamed about visiting Walt Disney World someday.

But first, I’ll have to overcome something that might surprise you: I’ve never taken a plane in my life.

Not once. Imagine that.

A person who has lived through war. Who has seen cities bombed and felt the ground shake from missiles. Still afraid of airplanes.

I know it doesn’t make sense. But fear rarely does.

And while Disneyland Paris is some hours away by train from Ukraine, with feet firmly on the ground, it’s not an option for me because there’s no Epcot Center there.

So maybe, one day, if I find the courage, Florida is where I’ll go.

But even if I never make it, I want to say this now:

Thank you, America. Thank you, Florida.

Thank you for your good energy. Thank you for being part of this journal, this life, this shared hope.

Florida is called the sunshine state. Now I know that it’s not just for the good weather, but because of its good people. The light they send. The warmth they offer. The care they offer to this stranger writing from across the sea.

Crimea is more than land. Florida is more than jokes. And what connects us is something sacred.

Not just geography. But love.

The reminder of what still matters and cannot be traded.

What we hold on to, because giving it up would mean losing who we are.

From one edge of the world to another, thank you again.

For your sunshine light. For your laughter. For your presence.

For holding the line.

🇺🇦

---

---

🔖 There’s no team behind this, just me, writing from Ukraine. And every paid subscription helps me keep this open for everyone who needs to read these stories. Thank you so much for considering it if you can.

---

📖 “The Divine Comedian: Ukraine’s Journey Through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise” is more than my first book: it’s Ukraine, seen from inside the fire, and the hope that refuses to die. Download it for free (PDF & Kindle) and see what survival really looks like.