Dinner in Warsaw

Quick answer: What did John Fenzel learn at dinner in Warsaw?

Over dinner with Sasha, a former Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Economy who studies diaspora economics and Russian disinformation, and Roman, a venture capitalist, John heard that fatigue is spreading, propaganda wins through repetition, and Ukrainians want to be treated as partners. Sasha cited diaspora companies generating fifty billion dollars a year in the U.S.

The streets of Warsaw shone like wet glass. John and his colleague Ron stepped into a small Ukrainian restaurant serving Black Sea food and sat down with two Ukrainians. Sasha, a former Deputy Minister of Economy, now runs a research center on diaspora economics and Russian disinformation. Roman, a venture capitalist, has crossed the border more than twenty-five times since the invasion. “Every crossing now feels heavier,” Roman said. The fatigue is on both sides. Sasha described how Russian operatives feed it with rumors about refugees and money. Propaganda doesn't need truth, he said. It needs repetition. People laugh at a rumor, then repeat it a week later. Sasha opened a notebook: Ukrainian companies in the U.S. generate fifty billion dollars a year and three hundred thousand jobs, he said. “We are not aid recipients. We are contributors.” If we're treated like victims, we stay victims. Roman's advice: don't wait for peace to invest. At the corner he said, “Europe is already at war.”

Why it matters for leaders: Treat people as partners rather than victims, and answer repetition-driven propaganda with better narratives of your own.

Q: What did Sasha say about fighting disinformation?

A: “You can't fight disinformation. You should produce your own narratives.”

Q: What did Roman say as they parted?

A: “Europe is already at war. Many just don't know it yet.”

Read the full article on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dinner-warsaw-john-fenzel-xacee

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation