Politics & Geopolitics

"On the pan-European map of resistance, it is the Polish resistance movement that is leading and exemplary in many areas." The above quotes are not taken from a paean to Poland and Poles written by a Polish author or some polonophile. These are excerpts from a secret report by Major General Reinhard Gehlen, a longtime chief of German military intelligence in the East, prepared in April 1945 for the then Minister of the Interior of the Third Reich, head of the SS and Gestapo, Heinrich Himmler.

A few months ago, the word spread around the world, which reportedly surprised even the insiders: Poland and Turkey signed a contract for the supply of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat drones for the Polish army.

Everything indicates that the Biden administration has a long way to go to persuade Western Europe to follow Atlantic values ​​and play together as a team to weaken China's position. Chancellor Merkel's visit to Washington did not bring any breakthroughs and, what is worse, revealed other strategic differences between Germany and the USA, especially in terms of understanding the problem of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

A discussion about the US-Russia summit in Geneva swept the world. Putin has strengthened his position wherever his policies are supported, and Biden, with his liberal-democratic lineage promoting democracy and human rights, presented himself as a man holding an olive branch with an already wobbling hand.

“Already in the first days of my internment in Birštonas, near Kaunas, on the Nemunas, I went for a walk along the river at the camp's border. Suddenly I noticed a small object shining in the sun. I picked it up and smiled. It was a silver thaler from 1580. On one side it showed the image of Stefan Batory with the Latin inscriptions «Stephanus, Rex Poloniae, Magnus Dux Lituaniae», and on the other side there was the coat of arms of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth."

Although most people still haven’t heard of it, the Three Seas Initiative is the most significant political and economic policy initiative to emerge in Central and Eastern Europe since the enlargement of the EU and NATO. It's an international economic and political initiative that currently brings together twelve countries of the European Union located between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic seas.

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, the first President of independent Ukraine (1991-1994) Leonid Kravchuk suggested that the talks about the future of Ukrainian-Russian war should be moved from Belarus to Poland. Because of recent actions by both Presidents Lukashenka and Putin, Minsk cannot be regarded as an objective peace broker between Ukraine and Russia.

The American Polonia has repeatedly contributed to the defense of Polish sovereignty and has made a huge contribution to the reconstruction of the Polish state. From 1910, she worked at various conferences on a memorial on the creation of the Polish state, so that after Jan Ignacy Paderewski's arrival in the USA, she joined her efforts and presented them to President Wilson. She sent to Poland and financed the modern, well-trained and armed Blue Army. She started financial aid for Poland, which continues to this day. (according to the World Bank, about $ 900 million annually).

Recent tensions between Biden and Putin reflect a long-term confrontation between the US and Russia. Let us approach this continuous threat from a broader geopolitical perspective. The United States needs tools to continue securing peace in Europe while focusing on China.

In her list of priorities, Poland should pay more attention to careful strategic planning beyond current tactical concerns. Poland needs to create a plan of connecting with her neighbors: Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus in a network of connectivity. The plan should also include the analysis of any obstacles to such connectivity development potential.

A representative of Kuryer Polski, Dr. Bogdan Kotnis, was invited to attend the 12th US-Ukraine Security Dialogue that took place on March 3 and March 4, 2021. A high quality of panelists and carefully selected topics allowed participants to learn a great deal about current political and economic concerns in US-Ukrainian relations.