The NATO accession in 1999 should strengthen the sense of security of Poland and Russia to protect. 20 years later, the fear of Russia is determined, once again, the Polish policy, because Poland wants to be close to the United States.
US-Nato-troops on the way to the Polish Orzysz in March 2017
As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised last week in Warsaw, the Polish commitment to the Alliance, he said the Poland of the soul. “We are very grateful for the contribution Poland is making every day for NATO,” he said.
The praise is justified. Poland is trying to make a name for itself for years as a model student of NATO, by providing the required two percent of the gross domestic product for defence, to NATO operations abroad – as in Afghanistan – and the presence of any of the allied troops on its soil expressly welcomed.
Stoltenberg warned against growing military threats by Russia, and the pulse hitting the core of the Polish foreign policy towards the West is based out of fear of the Eastern neighbors since the end of communism in 1989. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the NATO-accession to the strategic goal of Poland – supported by a broad support in society.
Russia against Poland’s NATO accession
This effort was Russia from the beginning a thorn in the eye. In spite of the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991 were stationed in Poland until 1993, the Russian tanks and the country was the Kremlin is still considered to be Russian zone of influence, although the Iron curtain had long since fallen.
As a guest gladly seen: the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the former Polish Minister-President Beata Szydlo
“The Russians were of course against our NATO membership, but we have tried by all means to overcome this resistance,” says Janusz Onyszkiewicz, who was once defence Minister of Poland.
Walesa talks with Yeltsin
For a breakthrough in this process Onyszkiewicz considers the visit of Russian President Boris Yeltsin in August 1993 in Warsaw. The President of Poland, Lech Wałęsa, had used the opportunity to tell him about the plans to join NATO. After the evening Banquet with Walesa published Yeltsin a final communiqué, in which the speech from the Russian “understanding of the Polish NATO-plans”.
The Surprise was great, both in Brussels and in Moscow. Although Yeltsin had to call his words under the pressure of Russian military object in writing, however, according to Onyszkiewicz, this proposal had shown that “Russia can no longer stop despite the verbally strong protests the process.”
History was written
A diplomatic Offensive of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. As US President Bill Clinton in 1994 in Brussels said that NATO enlargement was not a question of “if” but a question of “when”, appeared for the first Time as a real possibility. The NATO-Russia founding act of 1997, with the cooperation between Russia and NATO was defined, it was a de facto affirmation of the forthcoming enlargement of the Alliance.
12. In March 1999, confirmed the foreign Ministers of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, in the presence of their US counterpart Madeleine Albright signed the NATO-membership of their countries permanently. The ceremony took place in the town of Independence, Missouri.
NATO maneuvers in the Baltic sea: The destroyer USS Donald Cook in front of Gdynia in April 2016
“I stand with the whole Polish government at the tomb of the Unknown soldier in Warsaw. We waited for a Signal from the US that the documents of Secretary of state Albright were presented. As the NATO Flag was raised on the Mast. I was very touched. It was aware that in this moment, history is written,” recalls Onyszkiewicz.
Poland is an active NATO member
As Secretary of defense Onyszkiewicz, it was important to convince the new ally that they had won in Poland, “an ally for good, but also for difficult times”. The have proven to Poland in the following years, such as through the diligent restructuring of the army and participating in several NATO operations abroad, says the Ex-Minister. Currently, 350 Polish military in Afganistan are involved-use “Resolute Support” and their number should soon be on 400.
But a particular sympathy of Warsaw is traditionally the USA, which apply in Poland to a much greater extent than the NATO as a security guarantor. In 2003, Poland as one of the few European countries, besides the UK and Spain, his soldiers in the U.S. war in Iraq.
Downright enthusiastic, which Poland received in January 2017, the arrival of some 3,500 U.S. soldiers of velvet tanks and “Humvee”Jeeps in the Western Polish Zagan. It is the first rotation of the quota in the framework of the NATO action, “Atlantic Resolve”, which will be replaced every nine months by other NATO troops. Three months later, the inhabitants of the Northern Polish town were pleased to welcome Orzysz American combat units, including a variety of vehicles. This time, the reception was particularly warm, because of Orzysz is located close to the border with the Russian Kaliningrad.
Poland wants to Trump a “Fort”
The stationing of the NATO forces was due to the decisions of the Warsaw summit in 2016. In addition to the US forces in Poland, NATO battalions were deployed in the three Baltic countries. It was the NATO reaction to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
And Warsaw is currently looking for a bigger presence of US troops. Preferably, the Americans should be stationed permanently in Poland, the desire of the Warsaw government, and not the current rotation mechanism is subject to. For the project, which was described by the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda as a “Trump”, the PiS government has long been a diplomatic Offensive in Washington.
Best friends: US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo with NATO soldiers in Bemowo Piskie in February 2019
In 2018, a document entitled “proposal for a permanent US presence in Poland,” the U.S. government has sent officials, members of Congress and Think Tanks. Poland would like to bring in a whole armored division into the country and is willing to be the up to two billion US-Dollar cost.
Broad support for the US presence
Critics see this push to go it alone and the national-conservative PiS government, which also ideological sympathy for US President, Trump shows open. Ex-Minister Onyszkiewicz supports the aspirations for more U.S. presence, but he doesn’t want the collusion with the Americans to take place bilaterally, but within the framework of NATO.
But, similarly to the wide opposition circles, where the need for security for historic reasons is particularly strong, affirmative Onyszkiewicz, the idea that in Poland, more Americans should be stationed.
“A stronger US presence in Poland would guarantee that in the event of an attack, the US will feel addressed and that the NATO Treaty contained security would implement safeguards,” believes the liberal opposition politician and Ex-Minister of defense Janusz Onyszkiewicz.