Poland towards Russia. Radicalism without politics

Abstract

Thirty years ago, we started a successful process of freeing ourselves from Russian domination. Poland has become a sovereign country, but we are still not free from what can be called a postcolonial complex. The dominant approach in Poland’s foreign policy is based on cultivating hostility and showing ourselves and the whole world that Russia is evil. This approach makes us unable to develop an effective policy and see what has already happened in Polish-Russian relations. Meanwhile, Warsaw’s position towards Moscow has changed a lot in recent years. Poland has made a geopolitical retreat and withdrawn from the fundamental conflict that can be called a dispute over the borders of the West. By withdrawing from this geopolitical dispute, Poland has abandoned big politics in relations with Russia. An effective strategy towards Russia is very difficult yet still possible today. It would have to involve undertaking constructive and nuanced measures in the sphere of security, relations with Ukraine and, finally, Russian interference in Polish public life.