Another take on Poland

There's an article I wrote about Poland, many months ago, that attempts to capture a nation of people from the perspective of an insider, and you can still find it when you click my name and search through my published stories. In fact, I’m regularly in touch with extended family, and I hear first-hand accounts of the situation back home, as well as the war going on in Ukraine; not to mention that I've visited Poland on numerous occasions. With this being the case, and with my being careful to spot misinformation from abroad, I plan to shed some light on current events, namely: Putin's Invasion of Ukraine. My hope is — if you’re not already up-to-date with what has transpired in the past month — that, at least I'll be arming you with a bit of knowledge.

I’ll begin with some background on Poland and how an escalation in tensions alongside the border with Belarus was ultimately a ploy that led up to a full-blown invasion of Ukraine.

Firstly, the Polish nation and its people are patriotic. And rightly so, for there was a time when Poland vanished completely from the map of the world. It wasn’t until the end of the First World War (when Poles regained their country), that a profound and great love for the homeland once again reverberated in every citizen. In fact, the Poles have this one motto — one of several, that goes: Bog (God), Ojczyzna (homeland), and Honor. It’s a motto that’s used quite frequently at sporting events and on important days of remembrance in Poland. In fact, these three words, when taken together, really do form a sort of paradigm with respect to what the Poles value — above most everything else. As far as the Poles are concerned, a strong duty to defend the homeland has been true throughout Polish history.

But the wounds of war are still fresh in the minds of many Poles. The history of the World Wars and the sacrifices made for the love of the homeland (in the name of freedom) are still raw, and so stories are shared and passed down to subsequent generations as a means to never forget. Although modern Poland has largely rebuilt itself, and vestiges of ruined cities are a thing of the past — the photos, landmarks, monuments, and museums continue to portray a Poland that has endured a great deal of pain.

Therein lies the great empathy and compassion that Poles have for the suffering of their neighbor, at the hands of Russian aggression. The Poles have welcomed the Ukrainians into their homes, more or less in droves, and even doing so whilst they have their own hands tied up in the available aid which they can offer (which I'll explain further on); for, some Poles, no doubt recollect the harsh treatment under the Soviet Regime that they themselves received: The Katyn Massacre, the Smolensk air disaster, and the Solidarity movement are just a few of the examples where Poles have endured Soviet-era brutality.

There were, however, warnings with regards to Putin and his intentions; and so the invasion of Ukraine was not so much a surprise to the many officials in Poland and abroad, as it was, perhaps, a desire or a hope that they'd be wrong in their estimations. But the fact is, these concerns by the officials in Poland were regularly voiced long before the physical bombs dropped on Ukraine. It’s now plain as day what Putin is after, even if it is too late to stop him; his views of Ukraine are imperialistic, and he wants to finish the job that he started in 2014 with Crimea. But, his misjudgment of the will of the Ukrainians is undeniable.

Today, going into the fourth week of the war on Ukraine, many cities are left in ruins as Putin advances further to the Captial. But as weapons and aid pour into Ukraine, the brave resistance forces battle on, and Kyiv has yet to fall. How long the Ukrainian forces will hold off the Russians is yet to be determined, but the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, continues to request that more is done from the international community, and one would have to assume he's right. Vladimir's initial ploy to cause chaos at the border with Belarus and Poland — via the illegal transport of thousands of migrants from the Middle East — did not succeed as he'd planned; nor, did he succeed in a quick and unchallenged conquest of Ukraine for that matter. Nonetheless, there is tragic and unrepairable damage to Ukraine and its people.

It will be more and more evident, in the coming days and weeks, that such a large influx of Ukrainian migrants will present a challenge for the EU, as resources and supplies run low. In such a case, continued effort to obtain available aid must be made to support Ukrainians involved in the war. Those fleeing will need access to food and housing. Those volunteering to fight will need armor and weapons. Supply lines must stay open.

Poland’s prior ‘oppositional’ stance within the EU (such that sanctions were being imposed on Poland, as a penalty), has changed, in light of current events, and as the EU as a whole awakened to the very real tsarist ambitions of Putin. The world is witnessing Putin and his gang of thugs for what they truly are — a risk for the entire continent of Europe. And it’s becoming increasingly clear, that the cohesion of continental Europe, by association, will need to immediately take precedence, to counter Putin's imperialistic ambitions. Of course, Putin could always end the war he started, but how likely would that be?

Many Ukrainians fleeing the war are still in need of basic supplies and shelter. Please donate. It will be necessary to assist the Ukrainians, as they are the unofficial front line for Europeans as a whole.



Words: 994