Posted on 12/23/2022 3:55:26 AM PST by Cronos
Journalist Anna Budyńska was among the grassroots army of Polish volunteers who rushed to help Ukrainian refugees as they began crossing the border in February to escape Russia’s invasion.
At first, she and her partner donated money and collected food and blankets for refugees arriving in Warsaw. But she wanted to do more to understand those whom she was helping and decided to learn Ukrainian.
“I suddenly realised that I had always loved to travel to western Europe, India or Mexico, but I had never visited Ukraine, knew nothing about Ukrainian culture and only a little bit about its history that was taught at school,”
Polish historian Maciej Franz said 2022 would be remembered as “a special year of integration” between “two nations that were isolated from each other by politics half a century ago, and even earlier by hatred and hostility, which was the result of the nationalism that raged between the mid-19th and 20th centuries”.
He said his country was helping Ukraine “because we know what it’s like to be under [Russian] occupation and how terrible it can be”.
... About 1.3mn Ukrainians lived in Poland before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February, and the number has more than doubled since then.
Their presence has given Poles a new sense of kinship with and respect for their neighbours.
...“We share a distinct fatalism and the same history of Russian imperialism, so many Polish people feel that the same kind of Russian aggression could once more await us,”
... Since February, Poland’s military and political support has been unwavering, even after Poland and Nato attributed an accidental missile strike that killed two Polish farm workers last month to the Ukrainian army. In the aftermath, Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that “it is in our best interest to help Ukraine”.
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
The term ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ comes to mind.
I predict that Poland will be the first NATO nation that OPENLY moves military forces into western Ukraine. Any takers?
Would the Poles be intent on re-taking territory from Ukraine, or be there to resist Russia?
Serious question; Poland and Ukraine are not “friends”.
Russia is winning and for the first time in history, the West is out-gunned. The West has intentionally deindustrialized itself as a matter of liberal policy.
Has Ukraine apologized for launching the missile into Poland and then blaming the Russians?
Not a chance.
I’m going to ping you on 22 January to remind you how wrong you are
That’s a very good question. I think Matt has some maps that bear on the history behind your question.
I am sure that they are looking to take back Galicia and Volyn.
I think you are right, House Atreides. Like Americans, the Poles are wonderful people trapped by a bad government.
I will go with “the country thats most likely to”. Given some particular circumstances of course. Poland is (arguably), and moreover sees itself as the European sword and shield against danger from the East.
Very admirable lot, the Poles, in all my dealings with them.
Thanks. Apparently one reason there was no military help from neighboring countries is that several have disputed borders with the failed state of Ukraine.
I’m curious as to how that would shake out; due to the mass migrations as the borders were being re-drawn after WWII, Poland may have little reason to take back land. The Russia/Ukraine border was set in the 1990s, and very imperfectly (Stalin transferred Crimea to Ukraine never expecting they’d be an independent country, and many ethnic Russians were left on the Ukrainian side of the border).
On the contrary, they have a superb government. You want anti-woke? Anti Schwab? Anti globohomo? Anti-Merkel? Anti-Brussels? Thats them. They liked Trump and Trump liked them.
Moreover, they saw this all coming and took steps years ago to prepare. That Norwegian pipeline was planned, the Korean arms deal was planned. The militia organization was planned. They knew.
And, of course, they are anti-tyrants. Very competent, tough lot.
“ Not a chance.
I’m going to ping you on 22 January to remind you how wrong you are”
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You mean some other NATO nation will move in military forces at sometime before January 22, 2023? And where did the 1/22/23 date come from?
There is currently military aid received or incoming from every Eastern European country but Hungary and Serbia. Some like Bulgaria are doing it on the down low.
The problem of unwanted ethnics is easily solved by ethnic cleansing. Nobody is going to say a thing once the ‘good guys’ are doing it.
I meant meaningful aid - troops.
Every sort of aid is “meaningful”. A country organized for total war needs everything.
Russians keep posting that bs, but if true Poland wouldn't have handed over so much military equipment to Ukraine, including 300 tanks.
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