Latest news with #Muliar
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Hurt': Ukrainians in Poland worried by rise of nationalists
For several months, Halyna Muliar watched Poland's presidential campaign from home in Poznan, worried as candidates swerved further to the right and increasingly aimed nationalist slogans at Poland's 1.5 million Ukrainians -- war refugees and economic migrants. The 58-year-old arrived in Poland weeks before Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and recalled, with emotion, the huge solidarity from Poles when an evacuation train from her hometown of Mykolaiv arrived with her daughter and other refugees. But three years later, anti-Ukrainian rhetoric is part of mainstream Polish politics. This weekend, Poles elected as president nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who throughout his campaign questioned the rights of Ukrainians in Poland. "So much has changed," Muliar told AFP in Warsaw, where she had come from Poznan in the west to pick up a residency card. "I'm worried by everything that was said during the campaign." Nawrocki claimed Ukrainians "cause problems in hospital queues" and "should not live better than Poles", also accusing Kyiv of being ungrateful to its allies -- all arguments often used by the Polish far right. His rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the pro-EU presidential candidate, had urged people not to give into "Russian narratives" about Ukraine. But -- in a failed bid to win far-right votes -- he still said some benefits paid out to Ukrainian refugees should be cut. For Muliar, the mood in Poland has seriously worsened. "First, it started with the documents, with the waits getting much longer," she told AFP. Many Ukrainians have experienced longer bureaucratic procedures to obtain documents legalising their presence in Poland. Then, she noticed social media was so full of anti-Ukrainian content she preferred not to open it. Before long, she was the victim of xenophobic comments in shops "to which I just close my eyes". She is not alone. Ukrainians in Warsaw who AFP spoke to -- refugees and migrants who have been living in Poland for years -- were alarmed by the unprecedented hard-right tone of the campaign. "The damage has been done," said Olena Babakova, a longtime observer of Polish-Ukrainian relations and of Poland's Ukrainian community. - 'Took away hope' - While the theme of migrants has dominated election campaigns in the conservative Catholic country for years, Babakova said this "for the first time became strictly directed against Ukrainians". Nationalist Nawrocki has often raised 20th-century grievances between Poland and Ukraine. The pro-EU camp also flirted with that rhetoric, which Babakova said "took away hope". She predicted the people worst affected by the trend would be Ukrainians working in the service sector -- mostly women who have the most contact with Poles and "paradoxically, really want to integrate in Polish society". Olga Klymenko is one of them. She is one of the one million Ukrainian refugees in Poland and works in a hotel. She fled Russian occupation in 2022, escaping Ukraine's city of Izyum under fire through Russia before obtaining asylum in Poland. "It hurts and worries me," she told AFP. "It's hard to know what tomorrow will bring." Like many, she worries about her status in Poland. There is much uncertainty among refugees over the future of legalisation processes. "My house is destroyed. If there is some pressure from Poland, I have nowhere to return to," Klymenko explained. Se said she was waiting to see what kind of president Nawrocki would turn out to be. The role of head of state is largely ceremonial in Poland but the president can veto government law. Nawrocki's victory has boosted the chances of a far-right win in the 2027 parliamentary elections. "If there are some laws and the president's programme is not in favour of Ukrainians, then I don't know what we'll do," Klymenko said. - 'From the top' - Poland's economy and ageing population are heavily reliant on a Ukrainian workforce. But Ukrainians who have been living in Poland for years have also been unnerved by the election campaign. Yulia Melnyk, who has been in Warsaw for seven years, was convinced the negative sentiment had been whipped up "from the top". "It's convenient for politicians to use this kind of topic," the transport worker said. She said she had seen "a lot of hate" on the internet but not, so far, "in real life". But she admitted: "I am worried, and my family in Ukraine is worried that there will be hate towards Ukraine from the authorities themselves." Ukrainian cook Serhiy, who has lived in Warsaw for six years, hoped the rhetoric was limited to a heated pre-election period. The 28-year-old is also waiting to see what Nawrocki would be like in power. "I hope he will focus less on populism and more on real problems," he said. oc/mmp/giv
France 24
7 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
'Hurt': Ukrainians in Poland worried by rise of nationalists
The 58-year-old arrived in Poland weeks before Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and recalled, with emotion, the huge solidarity from Poles when an evacuation train from her hometown of Mykolaiv arrived with her daughter and other refugees. But three years later, anti-Ukrainian rhetoric is part of mainstream Polish politics. This weekend, Poles elected as president nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who throughout his campaign questioned the rights of Ukrainians in Poland. "So much has changed," Muliar told AFP in Warsaw, where she had come from Poznan in the west to pick up a residency card. "I'm worried by everything that was said during the campaign." Nawrocki claimed Ukrainians "cause problems in hospital queues" and "should not live better than Poles", also accusing Kyiv of being ungrateful to its allies -- all arguments often used by the Polish far right. His rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the pro-EU presidential candidate, had urged people not to give into "Russian narratives" about Ukraine. But -- in a failed bid to win far-right votes -- he still said some benefits paid out to Ukrainian refugees should be cut. For Muliar, the mood in Poland has seriously worsened. "First, it started with the documents, with the waits getting much longer," she told AFP. Many Ukrainians have experienced longer bureaucratic procedures to obtain documents legalising their presence in Poland. Then, she noticed social media was so full of anti-Ukrainian content she preferred not to open it. Before long, she was the victim of xenophobic comments in shops "to which I just close my eyes". She is not alone. Ukrainians in Warsaw who AFP spoke to -- refugees and migrants who have been living in Poland for years -- were alarmed by the unprecedented hard-right tone of the campaign. "The damage has been done," said Olena Babakova, a longtime observer of Polish-Ukrainian relations and of Poland's Ukrainian community. 'Took away hope' While the theme of migrants has dominated election campaigns in the conservative Catholic country for years, Babakova said this "for the first time became strictly directed against Ukrainians". Nationalist Nawrocki has often raised 20th-century grievances between Poland and Ukraine. The pro-EU camp also flirted with that rhetoric, which Babakova said "took away hope". She predicted the people worst affected by the trend would be Ukrainians working in the service sector -- mostly women who have the most contact with Poles and "paradoxically, really want to integrate in Polish society". Olga Klymenko is one of them. She is one of the one million Ukrainian refugees in Poland and works in a hotel. She fled Russian occupation in 2022, escaping Ukraine's city of Izyum under fire through Russia before obtaining asylum in Poland. "It hurts and worries me," she told AFP. "It's hard to know what tomorrow will bring." Like many, she worries about her status in Poland. There is much uncertainty among refugees over the future of legalisation processes. "My house is destroyed. If there is some pressure from Poland, I have nowhere to return to," Klymenko explained. Se said she was waiting to see what kind of president Nawrocki would turn out to be. The role of head of state is largely ceremonial in Poland but the president can veto government law. Nawrocki's victory has boosted the chances of a far-right win in the 2027 parliamentary elections. "If there are some laws and the president's programme is not in favour of Ukrainians, then I don't know what we'll do," Klymenko said. 'From the top' Poland's economy and ageing population are heavily reliant on a Ukrainian workforce. But Ukrainians who have been living in Poland for years have also been unnerved by the election campaign. Yulia Melnyk, who has been in Warsaw for seven years, was convinced the negative sentiment had been whipped up "from the top". "It's convenient for politicians to use this kind of topic," the transport worker said. She said she had seen "a lot of hate" on the internet but not, so far, "in real life". But she admitted: "I am worried, and my family in Ukraine is worried that there will be hate towards Ukraine from the authorities themselves." Ukrainian cook Serhiy, who has lived in Warsaw for six years, hoped the rhetoric was limited to a heated pre-election period. The 28-year-old is also waiting to see what Nawrocki would be like in power. © 2025 AFP
The Independent
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Ukrainian refugee cycling the globe to keep attention on war-torn home
A Ukrainian who sought refuge in Northumberland following Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine is cycling around the world so people do not forget about his war-torn home. Volodymyr Muliar, 47, is a sound engineer and was previously in Ukrainian free folk band Folknery from 2009 until it officially ceased operations in 2023 alongside Yaryna Kvitka – his wife who he is in the process of getting divorced from. He was born in Khmelnytskyi, a city in western Ukraine, and lived there until 2008 before moving to Kyiv. From 2019 until June 2022, Mr Muliar, Ms Kvitka and their son Marko Muliar, nine, lived in Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, interspersed with several adventures cycling to countries including Australia, Brazil, Argentina and India. The trio moved to Hexham, in Northumberland, in June 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion, after being offered residency there by locals Kevin Jones and Catriona Mulligan, who Mr Muliar said were 'truly, incredibly helpful'. Wanting to do something to keep Ukraine in peoples' minds as the third anniversary of the attack draws ever closer, Mr Muliar embarked on his most daring challenge to date from May 31 2024 – trying to ride around as many countries in the world as he can over a three-year period. 'This was my big dream, I have dreamed about doing this all my life,' Mr Muliar, whose base when he is not travelling is Hexham, told the PA news agency. 'I have always been mad about travelling and discovering new places. 'It's such a difficult time for my country and I wanted to do something for my people, so decided to combine my ideas to cycle around the world and help Ukraine. 'I was really honoured to start the cycle from Hexham because it's a lovely place and it's a place where people gave me a lot of love.' So far, he has ridden through countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Senegal, Cape Verde and Uruguay and is currently in Chile. He has been putting his legs to the test, cycling an average of 80 to 100km each day. The most enjoyable aspect of the trip for him has been delving into the culture of each country he visits. 'What I love most is meeting people from other cultures,' he said. 'For example, when I was invited to visit the house of people in Morocco or Senegal, I felt their incredible hospitality.' If he cannot physically get from one country to the next on his bike, he uses sailboats – but tries to avoid catching flights unless unavoidable. He added there have been some challenging moments, in particular when dealing with the climate in the Sahara desert and being without his son. 'It was really hot, about 45 degrees and you would be cycling for huge distances with just sand, wind and crazy heat,' he said. 'I miss my son very much and I'm always thinking about him and for now, my biggest dream is to see him again and hug him. 'He understands that it is important for me to continue travelling because this is one of my favourite things to do in life and I try to explain to him I am doing this not just for me, but the people of Ukraine too.' Mr Muliar was travelling around Egypt with his family when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine happened on February 24 2022. Reflecting on that day, he remembered feeling shocked when he received the news. 'It's probably the biggest, most shocking news for us in our life,' he said. 'We just couldn't believe it could happen in our time, in Europe, in modern times when all of us have such great possibilities and opportunities to live in peace and harmony.' His mother and older brother remain in Khmelnytskyi and he said while it is 'a less dangerous place' compared to cities in the east, 'there is no completely safe place in Ukraine now'. Recently, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, called for the creation of an 'army of Europe' following a call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin about plans to bring the invasion of Ukraine to an end. Mr Muliar said he hopes the world remembers and supports Ukraine. 'The world shouldn't forget about the situation in Ukraine because it is not only about Ukraine – the big monster that is Russia will continue to take countries if we don't stop them,' he said. 'This is a battle between evil and good so if the world supports Ukraine, it means support for the victory of good.' Alongside the challenge, he has been fundraising for kit and expenses for his intercontinental adventure, as well as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) so those directly impacted by the war in Ukraine can get the assistance they need. He has also been documenting his travels on various social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube, which has been met with a plethora of comments and interactions. 'I'm glad when people like my videos and posts,' he added. 'It's nice people like what I am doing.'
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ukrainian refugee cycling the globe to keep attention on war-torn home
A Ukrainian who sought refuge in Northumberland following Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine is cycling around the world so people do not forget about his war-torn home. Volodymyr Muliar, 47, is a sound engineer and was previously in Ukrainian free folk band Folknery from 2009 until it officially ceased operations in 2023 alongside Yaryna Kvitka – his wife who he is in the process of getting divorced from. He was born in Khmelnytskyi, a city in western Ukraine, and lived there until 2008 before moving to Kyiv. From 2019 until June 2022, Mr Muliar, Ms Kvitka and their son Marko Muliar, nine, lived in Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine, interspersed with several adventures cycling to countries including Australia, Brazil, Argentina and India. The trio moved to Hexham, in Northumberland, in June 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion, after being offered residency there by locals Kevin Jones and Catriona Mulligan, who Mr Muliar said were 'truly, incredibly helpful'. Wanting to do something to keep Ukraine in peoples' minds as the third anniversary of the attack draws ever closer, Mr Muliar embarked on his most daring challenge to date from May 31 2024 – trying to ride around as many countries in the world as he can over a three-year period. 'This was my big dream, I have dreamed about doing this all my life,' Mr Muliar, whose base when he is not travelling is Hexham, told the PA news agency. 'I have always been mad about travelling and discovering new places. 'It's such a difficult time for my country and I wanted to do something for my people, so decided to combine my ideas to cycle around the world and help Ukraine. 'I was really honoured to start the cycle from Hexham because it's a lovely place and it's a place where people gave me a lot of love.' So far, he has ridden through countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Senegal, Cape Verde and Uruguay and is currently in Chile. He has been putting his legs to the test, cycling an average of 80 to 100km each day. The most enjoyable aspect of the trip for him has been delving into the culture of each country he visits. 'What I love most is meeting people from other cultures,' he said. 'For example, when I was invited to visit the house of people in Morocco or Senegal, I felt their incredible hospitality.' If he cannot physically get from one country to the next on his bike, he uses sailboats – but tries to avoid catching flights unless unavoidable. He added there have been some challenging moments, in particular when dealing with the climate in the Sahara desert and being without his son. 'It was really hot, about 45 degrees and you would be cycling for huge distances with just sand, wind and crazy heat,' he said. 'I miss my son very much and I'm always thinking about him and for now, my biggest dream is to see him again and hug him. 'He understands that it is important for me to continue travelling because this is one of my favourite things to do in life and I try to explain to him I am doing this not just for me, but the people of Ukraine too.' Mr Muliar was travelling around Egypt with his family when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine happened on February 24 2022. Reflecting on that day, he remembered feeling shocked when he received the news. 'It's probably the biggest, most shocking news for us in our life,' he said. 'We just couldn't believe it could happen in our time, in Europe, in modern times when all of us have such great possibilities and opportunities to live in peace and harmony.' His mother and older brother remain in Khmelnytskyi and he said while it is 'a less dangerous place' compared to cities in the east, 'there is no completely safe place in Ukraine now'. Recently, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, called for the creation of an 'army of Europe' following a call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin about plans to bring the invasion of Ukraine to an end. Mr Muliar said he hopes the world remembers and supports Ukraine. 'The world shouldn't forget about the situation in Ukraine because it is not only about Ukraine – the big monster that is Russia will continue to take countries if we don't stop them,' he said. 'This is a battle between evil and good so if the world supports Ukraine, it means support for the victory of good.' Alongside the challenge, he has been fundraising for kit and expenses for his intercontinental adventure, as well as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) so those directly impacted by the war in Ukraine can get the assistance they need. He has also been documenting his travels on various social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube, which has been met with a plethora of comments and interactions. 'I'm glad when people like my videos and posts,' he added. 'It's nice people like what I am doing.' Mr Muliar's fundraising page for kit and other expenses linked to his challenge can be found here: while his fundraising page where money will go to the DEC can be accessed here:
