History is never easy, Polish-Russian clashes.

Having a long and troublesome history of conflicts, wars and conquest, both Russia and Poland seem never to stop their history clashes. From public debate towards everyday neighbours discussions, conflicts in the variety of areas like economy, politics and history, do monopolize the Polish-Russian dialogue. While Poland remains to accuse Russia for the Soviet Unions Aggression on the II Republic of Poland during World War II ( 17.09.1939) and for the genocide on Polish Officers and Intellectuals in Katyń, Russia keeps on questioning the Polish rule over Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania before the World War II and suggests Poland has taken an aggressive political route towards Russian influences in Eastern Europe.

Moscow claims that the high activity of the Polish government in regions of Russian interest like Ukraine or Georgia, as well as putting parts of the American Missile Defence System on the territory of Poland, are all hostile acts towards Russia. On the other hand they refuse to acknowledge any acts of violence and terror made by the Red Army on Polish civilians and war prisoners, as according to Moscow’s policy the Red Army should be presented as heroes and freedom bringers. Though Russia could not declaim the existence of Katyń mass graves, it simply points the responsibility for this war crimes towards Nazi Germany. As it has been historical proved to be NKVD and the Soviets to blame for, the Russian government refuses to take responsibility for any of the accusations. Instead Russian media try to attack Poland, implying that the II Republic of Poland, was Hitler’s first political ally, when it attacked Czechoslovakia. Even though the Polish aggression on Zaolzie (a part of Czechoslovakia back then) is a historical fact, the Russians go one step further. According to latest publication in Russia, the Soviet Union had to attack Poland after signing the Ribbentrop Molotov charter, as Poland was a threat for peace. This is a very poor justification for helping Hitler to bring down the Polish state, as it was by far impossible for small Poland to pose a threat to the expansive and military growing USSR. In fact Poland seemed to be a barrier for exporting the communism revolution further and controling the region. Not to mention Russia attacked Finland and occupied the Baltic Republics.

Although it seemed that there is a huge turn in Polish-Russian relations, as the prime minister Vladimir Putin is believed to come to Poland to the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II and after the Georgian war the governmental relations between Warsaw and Moscow tend to be warmer, there is still a lot to be done. The Polish could not react with anger outbursts on every publication in Russia. Of course there are a lot of unsolved issues from the past, but today’s politics is facing even more critical conflicts that should be solved. There should be more reasonable dialogues and less fierce discussion, lets hope we live up to a time that Poland and Russia will realise that it is mutual beneficial to be partners then enemies.

MP

~ by brzydkiulisses on August 23, 2009.