145. humans are more venomous than snakes

My regular readers know that I have a few friends in Ukraine, but only two remain in Kyiv. Three friends have moved to Poland, and one is in Munich. 

According to UNHCR statistics, there are about a million Ukrainian refugees in Poland. 

No one feels truly at home after leaving their house; it's just a way to maintain their existence. 

Those who relocated to Poland were happier earlier because the government and certain community organizations arranged for their stay with free food.

Many public sports halls and community buildings had been repurposed into shelters for refugees escaping Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Everyone believed it was simply a temporary shelter, expecting to return home soon. Yet, four years have passed, and the war persists, with no hope in sight from that deadly tunnel.

One poll indicates that support for accepting Ukrainian refugees has decreased from 94% shortly after the invasion to 48% now. 

Now, the kind gesture and the guests' feelings have faded away. Much has changed from 2022 to 2025. The hostile atmosphere for Ukrainians is causing difficulties for them.

Furthermore, the June 2025 election of right-wing populist Karol Nawrocki as president has pushed the entire political discourse further to the right. 

Locals in Poland want these unwanted guests to return as early as possible. Ukrainians are being targeted, humiliated, and assaulted in Polish cities. The kind of ‘right on migration’ and other slogans are nowhere to be found.

Some Ukrainians have started to leave, citing the changed atmosphere and the rising cost of living.

Poland and Ukraine have historically never been on the same wavelength. The brutal massacre of more than 100,000 Poles by Ukrainian nationalists from 1943 to 1945, aimed at preventing the Volhynia region from joining Poland, remains remembered.

A case was recently much in the news when a stranger asked a couple buying ice cream for their daughter to teach her to speak Polish. The attacker was caught and sentenced to 14 months in prison, but the incident has caused panic.

The hostility extends beyond Poland, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz aiming to prevent large influxes of young men from Ukraine into Germany. His government is drafting legislation to restrict benefits for Ukrainian refugees.

The war must come to an end. I feel sad when I receive messages from friends and watch the scary footage on my phone. 

A friend still living in the capital shared a video of a war cemetery, showing flags flying high and inscriptions made by the children, lovers, and wives of the fallen soldiers at the graves, which moved me to tears.

I will write in detail about that very soon. It was huge, and the eerie silence I could feel from miles away made me firmly believe that humans are more venomous than snakes.