Polish-Russian relations are among the most difficult and the most complicated neighbourly relations in Europe. They are difficult particularly for Poland but they are also complicated for Russia. The relations are affected by a difficult history during which Poland often experienced Russian domination and fell victim to Russia’s imperial politics. These negative experiences gave rise to mutual suspicion and distrust in the elites of both countries.
After the collapse of communism and the Soviet Union, Poland set out to integrate with the Euro-Atlantic structures – NATO and the European Union. Poland’s accession to NATO was meant to strengthen its national security and international position, protecting it against potential Russian neo-imperialism and making it an important element (especially in Central and Eastern Europe) of the monocentric, US-dominated global order. Attempts at mutual understanding between Russia and the West in the 1990s ended in failure. Russia is afraid of US hegemony in the world and its further marginalisation, and thus it opposes the expansion of NATO to the east. On the other hand, Poland and the Baltic states are afraid of Moscow’s military reactions, e.g. the operations in Georgia and Ukraine. The positions of Poland and Russia in global geopolitics makes their interests interfere with each other.
Wishing to increase its security, Poland strengthens cooperation with Washington and strives to actively participate in all American projects implemented under the auspices of NATO with regard to Central and Eastern Europe. One such project is the construction of NATO’s missile defence system on Poland’s territory, which raises serious reservations in Russia. The article presents the attitudes of Russia and Poland to the creation of the NATO missile defence system. We analyse the bilateral perception, argumentation, fears and methods for achieving the goals of negotiations regarding the construction of the American anti-missile shield.
