Officially, Poland is seeking protection from “Russian activities” for so long as Russia has activities. In practice, the government’s push for “assurances” from President Trump center on getting a commitment to keep US and NATO troops there permanently.
That’s been a priority for Polish governments since they joined NATO, with many envisioning a financial windfall from hosting foreign troops, and openly complaining when that didn’t immediately materialize after they joined.
Poland finally got some US and NATO troops in the past year, with the establishment of a “spearhead” force pointed at the Russian frontier, nominally to respond to any “threats” Russia might make. Polish officials clearly see the risk of losing the foreign deployments if calm is restored.
That gives them a big incentive to play up the myth of the imminent Russian invasion of Eastern Europe, and to seek deployments for as long as the Russian excuse works, which given NATO’s history, is likely to be as close to permanent as one can get.
Aaaannnnnd that’s how Britain got sucked into WW2, a war it could have largely avoided- perhaps altogether. I’m hearing ghostly voices from the past- something about ‘entangling alliances’ and ‘going in search of monsters abroad’.
There is a fundamental difference between 1939 and today. It is that the Bundesrepublik has not the slightest intent of participating in an attack on Russia. The potential tinder for a big war lies not in Poland but in the region between Turkey and India.
It’s got nothing to do with a present-day German attack and everything to do with getting railroaded into a war due to stupid defense agreements and alliances. Poland wants us to help defend themselves in the event of an attack? Perhaps it has more to do with rents for military bases and the US dollars those bases and personnel pump into the Polish economy.
“…envisioning a financial windfall from hosting foreign troops…”
Then, by all means, we should let them host foreign troops. But since these troops would be providing some form of protection to the Polish nation, the Poles should be willing to pay to have these foreign troops stationed on Polish land. When a bank hires a company to provide guard services, they don’t expect the guard service to pay the bank for the privilege of guarding them, to they?
I’m sorry….When exactly did Russia say they want Poland, or make any kind of threat whatsoever?
More Dog & Pony nonsense for Amerikans to keep believing nothing but lies.
Poland should ask Russia for protection from the U.S.
Unlike most NATO members Poland actually spends 2% of its GDP on the military. Poland has never asked for $ or US aid and is actually paying for everything its gets from the US.
And for those ignoramus here – Poland has had the largest underground during WW2 and had the 4th largest Allied army fighting the Germans on ALL fronts.
It was Poland’s Solidarity movement who defeated the commie system with the rest of the Soviet bloc simply fallowing.
It was Poland alone who saved the so called “West” from the 1920 Bolshevik invasion. It if were not for Poland you Lilliputians would speak Russian today.
Be thankful for its existence and its determination to defend itself and Europe from the Russian bear.
Unlike most NATO members Poland actually spends 2% of its GDP on the
military. Poland has never asked for $ or US aid and is actually paying
for everything its gets from the US.
And for those ignoramus here – Poland has had the largest underground during WW2 and had the 4th largest Allied army fighting the Germans on ALL fronts.
For its trouble it got betrayed twice by its war “allies’, once in Tehran and second time in Yalta.
It was Poland’s Solidarity movement who defeated the commie system with the rest of the Soviet bloc simply fallowing.
It was Poland alone who saved the so called “West” from the 1920 Bolshevik
invasion. It if were not for Poland you Lilliputians would speak Russian today.
Be thankful for its existence and its determination to defend itself and the rest of Europe from the Russian bear.
Poles are not the sharpest pencils in the box. They should be asking for protection from NATO