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Ukraine and Poland forge ‘special relationship’ as war brings neighbours closer
Financial times ^ | 22 December 2022 | Raphael Minder, Barbara Erling

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 ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: barbaraerling; notourwar; raphaelminder; russianaggression; russianimperialism
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To: kearnyirish2

I don’t know.

There are legitimate doubts about that election that have not been properly investigated. The Democrats and the US establishment have subsequently behaved abominably. If you do not recognize that election as legitimate I would not complain about your opinion.

But this point is not about a US election.

Zelensky was not elected in a close election. It was in two rounds, in the first he was #1, with a 2X plurality (30% of the vote vs Poroshenkos 15%), in a field of 30+ candidates, and then he won the second round in a landslide. No quibbles on that one. Zelensky is much more legitimate than Biden.


121 posted on 12/23/2022 8:09:17 AM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
NATO has not yet committed a single first line tank, APC, or combat aircraft to Ukraine. Not one

Neocon fool


122 posted on 12/23/2022 8:09:17 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: JonPreston
Heh. You just confirmed exactly what I said -- you truly don't know what you're talking about when it comes to matters military.

I said that NATO hadn't committed (a direct quote here) "a single first line tank, first line APC, or first line combat aircraft" to Ukraine.

You post something from google stating that NATO has provided "anti-tank and air defence systems, howitzers, and drones", and congratulate yourself on making me look like a "fool". Except that none of those things you listed are a "first line tank", "first line APC", or "first-line combat aircraft".

You are the Sgt. Schultz of Free Republic.

123 posted on 12/23/2022 8:15:54 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: buwaya

He’s also a lot more legitimate than is Putin.


124 posted on 12/23/2022 8:16:30 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: JonPreston

Note that you dont list “first line tank, apc’s or combat aircraft”.

Un other words you are being disingenuous. Now, if he had said “artillery” you would have a point. If he had said “SAMs or ATGMs” you would have a point. But he didnt.

There are no Abrams or Bradleys, Leopards or Marders in Ukraine. The NATO offensive line isnt there. The massive NATO Air forces, the Quarterback, isn’t there. Thats both the pass offense and the running game, and there’s no $#&% kicker too.


125 posted on 12/23/2022 8:20:00 AM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: buwaya

Hush, foreigner. Real Americans don’t take foreign policy advice from EU swine.


126 posted on 12/23/2022 8:22:33 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: kearnyirish2

The Poles have no intention on taking territory from Ukraine. Not even the most radical nationalists want anything more than acknowledgement of Polish heritage in Lviv .

Poland and UK were not, before 2014, friends.

But they have grown closer since 2014.

And now, thanks to Putin they are close friends


127 posted on 12/23/2022 8:23:26 AM PST by Cronos (.)
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To: NorseViking

Nope, Poles aren’t looking to grab territory. They aren’t Muscowites like you, Nosewanking


128 posted on 12/23/2022 8:24:30 AM PST by Cronos (.)
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To: JonPreston

I am a foreigner, but you are a silly person (a foreign reference, Monty Python of course).

You cant answer, and are caught in a compromising position, so like certain invertebrates, cephalopods, you squirt ink and hope to evade a sound drubbing.

There are Americans here, no doubt, that can do the honors within your peculiar crotchets. Drub away, gentlemen.


129 posted on 12/23/2022 8:33:38 AM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: Cronos
A lot of Russians and Russophiles parrot this weirdly medievalist narrative where everyone is motivated by the same things that motivated people hundreds of years ago, as if the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is going to rise from the ashes and threaten them once again.

The truth is that Europe, excluding Russians trapped in their own dreams of empire, has moved on.

130 posted on 12/23/2022 8:35:31 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

Well I would kind of like to see The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth rise again.


131 posted on 12/23/2022 8:36:29 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: kearnyirish2
Er.. what?

Poland even Estonia gave tins of military equipment to Ukraine

whatever gave you the erroneous idea that they didn't help and aren't helping now?

132 posted on 12/23/2022 8:37:02 AM PST by Cronos (.)
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To: House Atreides

No, I mean that you are utterly wrong about any NATO military forces going into Ukraine.

And I will remind you each month from now how wrong you are, starting with 1 month from now, on 23 January


133 posted on 12/23/2022 8:41:39 AM PST by Cronos (.)
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To: dfwgator

The Russians apparently believe it already has, and that Jan Sobieski and his Winged T-72’s are just waiting to charge Moscow.


134 posted on 12/23/2022 8:45:24 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
The Russians apparently believe it already has, and that Jan Sobieski and his Winged T-72’s are just waiting to charge Moscow.

LOL, if only.

135 posted on 12/23/2022 8:46:23 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: JonPreston
Russia is losing. Let's look at the maps to show how Russia has lost. It had 27% of Ukrainian territory in March 2022. Now in May 2022 it gas 15 %

and December 2022

you Russians are losing

136 posted on 12/23/2022 8:50:12 AM PST by Cronos (.)
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To: Cronos

Say, aren’t you the foreign guy who has been calling for the slaughter of innocent people for more than 20 years?


137 posted on 12/23/2022 8:59:01 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: buwaya
I am a foreigner

Of course you are. Do me a favor. Take your war drum and go beat it in front of 10 Downing street, if you're allowed. We don't need you and your noise here.

138 posted on 12/23/2022 9:01:50 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: buwaya; kearnyirish2
The events of 2014 (actually in 2013), began when the then-President of Ukraine, under Russian pressure, defied his parliament and went back on his promise to sign the EU Association agreement, a first step towards joining the EU.

That's complete nonsense of course.

The Ukrainian parliament rejected six versions of the EU Association agreement prior to the breakdown in talks. Here's the relevant section from linked Dec 2013 news story.

President Viktor Yanukovych ordered the suspension of preparations for the pact between Kiev and Brussels after talks between the Russian and Ukrainian prime ministers – and after Yanukovych's party in parliament rejected six bills aimed at meeting the EU's terms.

Ukraine suspends talks on EU trade pact as Putin wins tug of war

Key to the breakdown was the EU's insistance that the deal include the release from prison of the former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko the so-called "Gas Princess" who was convicted of official corruption while in office.

Another key was the 'better deal' offered to Ukraine by the Russian Federation which included a no strings loan package and long term energy discounts. On a objective basis the Russian deal was superior as noted by credit rating increase given to Ukraine sovereign debt after it was announced in Dec 2013.

Ukraine outlook 'brightens' after Russia bailout

139 posted on 12/23/2022 9:01:52 AM PST by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera )
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
Bingo. That's exactly what the Maidan and this entire war are all about.

No...just more bullshit from the deceitful West.

140 posted on 12/23/2022 9:04:30 AM PST by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera )
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