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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: BobL

Abrams was designed to be upgraded. Not all of the ones even in active service are the latest model. Those in reserve, I expect, are mostly M1A1’s.

As for M60’s, Greece has @600 fairly late models of these in storage (retired in 2015), and Turkey >1200
There are lots more around the world. If someone wants to pay for them they should be available.

The problem with giving these to Ukraine is maintenance.


81 posted on 12/23/2022 6:20:05 AM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: FreshPrince

“Ohh another prediction I can save! But kepp in mind you dont advance by retreating.”

We’ll see. Russia is piling a lot of troops around Ukraine, and the last time they did that, they did advance quite a bit.


82 posted on 12/23/2022 6:22:32 AM PST by BobL
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To: JonPreston
...and for the first time in history, the West is out-gunned.

Put down the bong just for a bit, okay? That stuff can really mess with your head.

83 posted on 12/23/2022 6:26:22 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: Cronos
Ukrainian stooges are not just enemies to the U.S. and FR, Ukrainian stooges are working to replace God, Family and Country with warmongering devil worship.


84 posted on 12/23/2022 7:06:39 AM PST by Fairhairedboy (MAGA)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin

You are everything that’s wrong with American men. You are a soyboi, a female impersonator, a coward and worst of all, a conservative Republican, as measured by today’s standards. ‘Nuff said.


85 posted on 12/23/2022 7:09:43 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: Cronos
Ukrainian stooges are one and the same as the Three Stooges in this pic of an active insurgency to destroy the American way. You scums are forever tied to our enemies.


86 posted on 12/23/2022 7:10:51 AM PST by Fairhairedboy (MAGA)
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To: kearnyirish2
Serious question; Poland and Ukraine are not “friends”.

There is no question if the Ukraine government is threatened with takeover from Russia, Poland would move into the Western part to protect her interests. While Poles generally don't support retaking Lwów, they still would not sit idly by and allow Russia to get it.

87 posted on 12/23/2022 7:13:15 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: JonPreston
You are everything that’s wrong with American men. You are a soyboi, a female impersonator, a coward and worst of all, a conservative Republican, as measured by today’s standards. ‘Nuff said.

Someone needs a hug.

88 posted on 12/23/2022 7:14:19 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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To: buwaya

The Ukrainian usurper who just came to pick the taxpayers’ pockets was very clear it wasn’t enough; they need people willing to die for their failed kleptocracy.


89 posted on 12/23/2022 7:15:24 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: dfwgator

Moving into a place is easy; holding it is the hard part. There is no massive Polish population waiting to resettle what is left of Ukraine.


90 posted on 12/23/2022 7:16:06 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: joma89
This flag FOREVER defines where our enemies stand.


91 posted on 12/23/2022 7:16:18 AM PST by Fairhairedboy (MAGA)
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To: buwaya

Ukraine was never set up for “total war”; they sold much of their military hardware decades ago to raise foreign cash reserves. Apparently they attacked the Russian minority and culture within their borders expecting no reaction at all.


92 posted on 12/23/2022 7:17:52 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

Well I mean it’s also more to provide a buffer for Poland against Russia. They already have Kaliningrad and Belarus to deal with.


93 posted on 12/23/2022 7:18:18 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: JonPreston

Yawn


94 posted on 12/23/2022 7:18:22 AM PST by rrrod (6)
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To: Bruce Campbells Chin
Someone needs a hug.

Ask your boyfriend about that stuff.

95 posted on 12/23/2022 7:18:32 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: rrrod

Hush, Biden Puffer.


96 posted on 12/23/2022 7:18:57 AM PST by JonPreston
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To: Cronos
Ukrainian traitors stand with Mike.


97 posted on 12/23/2022 7:20:34 AM PST by Fairhairedboy (MAGA)
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To: dfwgator

I see; I guess from their standpoint some kind of UN force filling the void would be preferable.


98 posted on 12/23/2022 7:22:30 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: JonPreston

You have been exposed...lol. makes my day everytime.


99 posted on 12/23/2022 7:22:43 AM PST by rrrod (6)
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To: JonPreston
Of course, you do realize that NATO hasn't committed a single first line tank, first line APC, or first line combat aircraft to the Ukraine War, right? And despite that, the Russians have been losing ground since May.

Regardless of what ends up happening in this war, It is clear that Russia's conventional military was wildly overestimated, and would have been absolutely torn apart in a war with NATO. We saw in the Gulf War and again in the invasion of Iraq what happened when a Soviet trained and equipped army went up against US forces in a conventional war, and it wasn't pretty. This war has confirmed that verdict.

100 posted on 12/23/2022 7:24:38 AM PST by Bruce Campbells Chin ( )
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