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SP baner

Vol. 47 No. 1 (2019)

Theory of politics

The Approach of the Russian and Polish Ruling Elites to the Issue of NATO/US Missile Defence System. Part 2

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35757/STP.2019.47.1.1
Submitted: December 16, 2019
Published: March 29, 2019

Abstract

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 have a difficult history and Poland has more often experienced Russian domination, falling victim to Russia’s imperial policy. These negative experiences have evoked 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, such as NATO and the European Union (EU). Poland’s accession to NATO was meant to strengthen its national security and international position, protecting it from potential Russian neo-imperialism and making it an important element (particularly in Central and Eastern Europe) of a monocentric, US-dominated global order. The attempts made by Russia and the West to achieve mutual agreement in the 1990s ended in failure. Russia is afraid of American hegemony in the world and its progressive marginalisation, and it thus opposes the expansion of NATO to the East. On the other hand, Poland and the Baltic states are afraid of Moscow’s military campaigns, such as those in Georgia and Ukraine. The location of Poland and Russia in global geopolitics makes their interests collide with each other.
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 the territory of Poland, which raises Russia’s serious objections. The article presents the attitude of Russia and Poland to the creation of the NATO missile defence system. It analyses bilateral perception, argumentation, fears and methods of achieving goals in negotiations regarding the construction of the American missile shield.

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