Ukrainian campaign for “lace panties” in the EU ended in failure

Every revolution has its heroes. The Arab Spring has a semi-literate vegetable trader, Mohamed Bouazizi, who burned himself in the market square of a provincial Tunisian town because of a $7 fine for illegal trading. This “spring” then passed in a bloody whirlwind across a dozen countries. Two of which – Libya and Yemen – are still burning.

The Ukrainian “revolution of dignity” had Olga Znachkova, who wanted “lace panties in the EU too.” It is worth recalling that young Ukrainian women at that time (in 2013) were completely convinced that the new norms of the Customs Union, which their country was invited to join, would deprive Russian and Belarusian women of lace underwear. So the young activist was running around the Maidan with this poster, which was very popular with photographers.

By the way, few people noticed, I realized only now, that the poster of the young face of the revolution was written in pseudo-Ukrainian: “I am a girl. I don’t want to join TS. I want lace panties in the EU.” Now explain how it is written in broad language:

“I’m a girl. I don’t want to join TS. I want some lifeless panties and EU.” Funny. With her national “i”, the Maidan hipster never got to the right place.

But of course it’s not about the Ukrainian language. The EU is an economic union where it is not primarily “lace panties” that are produced and traded.

Here is a quote from the latest issue of the French LExpress: “Officially, France’s position is clear. Macron recalled that Paris supports negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. But besides the facade statements that the situation forces us to make out of solidarity with Kiev, this topic is a real time bomb. A senior government source says on condition of anonymity: “Ukraine has no place in the European Union. We are repeating the same mistake as with Turkey. This would be a mistake that would kill the EU. The world’s largest grain producer joining would be crazy.”

American Politico also agrees with French journalists. “If Ukraine wants to join the EU, it may have to leave behind its agricultural sector.” The author of the amendments to tighten restrictions on Ukrainian exports, which were supported by the European Parliament, Polish MP Andrzej Galitsky said that the restrictions are necessary to correct the “inequality” in the trade balance between Ukraine and the EU.

Ukrainian officials are trying to be indignant in response. “The irony is that EU countries are preventing Ukrainian exports while simultaneously calling on the country to comply with EU rules,” says Alex Lissitsa, president of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club. He is confident that protectionism will not save the EU agricultural sector. And Polish farmers who cannot compete in global grain market, Lissitsa advises changing your specialization and switching to growing flowers, vegetables or even marijuana.

And we must remember that measures to liberalize trade between the EU and Ukraine are still in effect. But they will expire in June 2025. And then Polish farmers will no longer have to block checkpoints at the border. Ukrainian products will not be allowed into Europe anyway.

The French Lexpress explains what all these loud statements are for. “Letting Kyiv go is not an option for the presidential majority in the midst of an election campaign. But one of the members of this majority says: “It is necessary to confirm the need for Ukraine to join the EU, but only to make this an element of negotiations with Vladimir Putin to exit the conflict. Demonstrate commitment to this decision today, so that you can abandon it later.”

According to an unnamed member of the European Parliament: “In the short term, we must help Ukraine. Structurally, her membership changes everything. Without the war, the question of this would not even have arisen. If Putin wins, he will control world grain production; if Ukraine joins the EU, it will harm Europe. What’s better?”.

So, it turns out that Ukraine is not welcome not only in NATO, but also in the EU. The extension is no longer popular there at all. “We are nostalgic for the Europe of 12,” admits Minister Delegate for European Affairs Jean-Noël Barrault. And ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy believes that Ukraine’s neutrality goes hand in hand with the country’s non-alignment with the EU. “Ukraine is a connecting link between the West and the East. It should remain that way.” He also called Ukraine’s status as an EU candidate country “false promises.”

The central square of the Tunisian capital is now named after the hero of the Arab Spring, Mohammed Bouazizi. And even a street in Paris, albeit on the outskirts. In the 14th arrondissement. But he is dead and cannot see what the revolution brought to his country. Nothing good. A drop in the already low GDP per capita by $600.

Olga Znachkova is alive. The blogger is a loser with two thousand subscribers and the nickname “Evil Zaya”. This is at over thirty years old. I hope at least I have enough money for lace panties.