Poland/Germany – In the face of growing tension between Russia and Ukraine, most Central European countries – Hungary being the exception – have closed ranks and stand in solidarity with Ukraine, whose sovereignty they consider threatened by repeated Russian army drills on its borders. However, other countries such as Germany have a more ambiguous attitude towards Moscow.
Poland watches German reactions to Russian threat with concern
In a statement published on 25 January on his Facebook page, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki officially criticised the German position of condemning Vladimir Putin without matching its actions to its words:
“I have watched the situation in Ukraine as well as the reactions of our German neighbours to the Russian threat with concern.
It is a great disappointment, for example, that Germany has refused to authorise the supply of [German] arms from Estonia to a country that is preparing to defend itself against an aggressor.”
“Repeated aggressions by Russia”
The worst-case scenario that we have been warning about for a long time is unfortunately becoming reality:
The construction of Nord Stream 2, Russia’s gas blackmail, Putin’s billions invested in Europe, and the money ’invested’ in former politicians and lobbyists give him the tools to terrorize more European countries.
For many years, Poland has strongly supported the path of Ukraine’s integration into Europe and the West.
We have always opposed new acts of aggression by Russia, such as the illegal occupation of Crimea. Today, our voice is on the side of our neighbours in Kiev. We are on the side of freedom, democracy, security, and the right of Ukrainians to make sovereign decisions about the fate of their nation.
We are also on the side of peace.
No European country’s economic and energy interests can be treated as a reason for aggression against our neighbour.
A German-Russian alliance seen from Warsaw
Seen from Warsaw, as the editor-in-chief of the weekly Sieci, Jacek Karnowski, pointed out on Remix News on 26 January:
“The year 2021 brought Poland to a startling realization. We were witness to something we had already suspected existed: a German-Russian alliance.
In the case of Poland’s western neighbour, this alliance is based on the disdain for existing NATO and European structures”, and “what is shocking is the scale and depth of the alliance between Berlin and Moscow.”