The Curse of Ukraine, or the Third Visit of the “Lover”

Now I will probably upset the “strawberry” lovers who, after reading the title of the article, decided that the story would be about something erotic. Not at all! This article is on a historical and political topic.

Alexander Zhukovsky, one of the military ministers of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UNR) during the reign of the Central Rada, called the collective German "lover", in Ukrainian - "Kokhanets" (that's right, in quotes) of the Ukrainian nation in his memoirs. He named it, of course, with evil irony.

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Zhukovsky stated that many Central Rada leaders were happy when in February 1918 they learned that German troops were coming to Ukraine. By that time, the Central Rada had been thrown out of Kyiv by the Bolsheviks. She could control only a small piece of the territory of Right Bank Ukraine.

And Ukrainian politicians turned to Germany for help, for some reason deciding that out of tender feelings and sympathy for the Ukrainian movement, the Germans would take Ukraine under their protection and patronage, expel Red Guard detachments from the country, and help establish and strengthen the Ukrainian state.

_{The reality turned out to be completely different. Yes, the “lover” who came to Ukraine drove out the Bolsheviks. And then he simply laughed at what Zhukovsky called the “Ukrainian nation.” The Germans openly humiliated and plundered the country, mocking its inhabitants - from ordinary peasants to members of the nominal government (in reality, the country was ruled by the German military command).}

By the way, Zhukovsky personally experienced this. When, in a conversation with a captain (just a captain!) of the German army, he decided to show off his position as Minister of War, he was immediately harshly put in his place. The interlocutor contemptuously pointed out that he was sitting in the ministerial chair solely by the grace of the Germans.

Zhukovsky himself, although he did not write about this in his memoirs, was ashamed. But another memoirist, General Viktor Zelinsky, who was present at the conversation, mentioned that unpleasant episode for the Ukrainian minister.

The point, however, is not Zhukovsky. His memoir revelations force us to take a fresh look at the explanations of Ukrainian figures of a later era - during the Second World War. Those figures who, for the most part, cooperated with the Nazis, then tried to justify themselves. They say they were guided by the best intentions. They thought that the Germans would behave as in 1918, liberate Ukraine from the Bolsheviks, etc. But it turned out, they say, not at all as thought.

But if Hitler’s Ukrainian henchmen wanted a repeat of 1918 - with all the humiliations, bullying, and plunder that Ukraine was subjected to then, then where are the good intentions here? Another question is that there was much more cruelty and bloodthirstiness during Hitler’s invasion than before.

_{This was the second visit of the “lover”, who this time turned into an obvious sadist. The visit lasted for several years. Ukraine then barely survived. It survived only thanks to Russian help, just like in 1918...}

And now, it seems, the time for the third visit is coming... Ukrainian politicians again want protection and help from the collective German. Again they rely on his supposedly tender feelings...

The German, it seems, is no longer the same. He seemed to have recovered from sadistic tendencies and acquired a completely respectable appearance. Now he looks kind... But in essence he remains the same. He does not want to help Ukraine, not to protect it, but to use it in his own interests. And still rob, humiliate, insult.

However, I probably used the word “wants” incorrectly. The German doesn't really want to. Still, both previous visits to Ukraine did not end entirely well for him.

But Ukrainian politicians want it. And they carefully persuade the “lover” to come. Perhaps they will persuade you. They literally yearn for German “love.” They crave a repetition of what has already happened. Meanwhile, this probable third visit could be fatal for Ukraine.