Countries of the Three Seas Initiative (Source: Wikipedia)
I listen with great attention to the serious and insecure voices coming from Poland about cooperation with the United States after the dramatic end of President Trump's term of office. I can hardly believe the opinions of serious politicians, who attacked the Biden administration from the very start, without even scratching the surface of the American foreign policy. I would like to remind everyone that, in politics, it is not morality that counts, only the interests of a given state.
At this point, we Poles should remember Yalta and the way in which the powers decided the fate of the peoples of Eastern Europe, condemning us to slavery under the Soviet bayonets. It is true that President Trump did a lot for Poland, but he did not do it out of love for Poland, it only resulted from an assertive and even often aggressive policy, which Trump led towards the countries of NATO's eastern flank. We can't act like the proverbial eligible maiden, who just lost her admirer and doesn't know what will happen to her now. As an old French proverb says: "The king is dead, long live the king!" So let us stop lamenting the loss of Trump and pursue an active policy of building a sovereign state that has a great potential and many opportunities, so that we, as Poles, can achieve true sovereignty.
Just as Prime Minister Paderewski used to rebuild Polish elites by bringing Polish scientists and businessmen from abroad, we must rebuild Polish elites to work in Polish diplomacy and statehood. We also need professional tools to conduct an effective foreign policy. How to entice Biden to the idea of the Three Seas Initiative?
An active foreign policy is needed and Polish diplomatic missions organizing active promotion of the Polish raison d'état. Maybe prof. Chodakiewicz, dr. Bartosiak, and many others may be able to help. Chopin concerts will not change the image of Poland. It can only be changed by an English-language debate of specialists, who matter in the West and speak good English. It can be organized on the platform of American universities, Washington think-tanks and broadcast on the Internet through the Polish media networks.
American elites must start discussing how Poland and the Three Seas countries may become an important place for American gas, weapons, technology and other products. They can also become an important site for Pax Americana, in light of the constant tendency to push the US out of Western Europe. All these comments in Poland that America has become a communist state cause only great harm to Polish-American relations.
In America, we are dealing with a swing of the electoral pendulum to the left and this does not mean that in four years, with tax increases and crime rising, the American pendulum will not swing to the right. So let us stop dealing with the issues that an MP has moved to another faction. Let's deal with what is most important to all Poles. At the moment, conducting a rational and active foreign policy, launching Polish English-speaking media, and investing in the media of the Polish diaspora, as well as working with our diaspora, including building pro-Polish lobbying, are challenges for the development and sovereignty of the Republic of Poland.
The text originally appeared in "Solidarity Weekly" (Tygodnik Solidarność).
Translation from Polish by Andrew Woźniewicz.
