Weekly Briefing, Vol. 50. No. 1 (PL) April 2022
The Polish Prime Minister: Putin like Hitler and Stalin
Summary
The Polish government continues to take decisive action to impose the most palpable sanctions on Russia and its international isolation. Polish leaders, like the Ukrainian government, are appealing to the West for consistent and firm action against Russia in restricting imports of Russian raw materials. Reports from the Ukrainian town of Bucha regarding the massacre of civilians by Russian troops have caused exceptionally strong outrage among Polish authorities. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Hitler and Stalin. In turn, the leader of Poland’s ruling camp, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, stated on Polish and German media that Poland would be safer with nuclear weapons. Actions aimed at increasing military aid by Poland and NATO to Ukraine, cutting off imports of Russian raw materials, even at the expense of price increases and the stay of Ukrainian refugees in Poland enjoy the support of the vast majority of Polish society.[i]
Introduction
Reports of the massacre of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha by Russian troops were commented on by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. – After 40 days of Russian aggression in Ukraine, no one doubts that this is pure evil. When we look at these terrible crimes against women, children, our cry should be even louder. The Russians have completed an exceptional crime, a crime of genocide,” said the Polish Prime Minister at the press conference. He addressed Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Angela Merkel in strong words. – Would you negotiate with Hitler, with Stalin? – he asked.
The Polish Prime Minister: Russian crimes should be judged by an international commission
– Bucza, Irpien are names of places that each of us will remember for the rest of our lives. The Russians committed exceptional crimes. In the village of Bucza about 300 murdered people were discovered. These bloody massacres deserve to be called by their name. This is genocide. This crime must be judged,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. – Also those who remain silent are co-responsible. Everyone who allows such a tragedy to become a fact bears co-responsibility. I call on the leaders of the European Union to act decisively, to implement measures that will break Putin’s war machine,” he added.
– Russian aggression is the core of its system. This is the rule of its policy. I told you about this in November. I said that proscription lists were being created, that purges were being planned. I showed the mechanisms. Today this is happening – said Morawiecki. – These crimes are exceptional. Today a genocide map of the 21st century is being created. Russia today is already a totalitarian-fascist state. We must stop it together. And that is why we propose to establish an international commission to investigate this crime,” he added.
The leader of the Polish ruling camp about nuclear weapons in Poland
The President of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski asked by the weekly “Sieci” what the stakes of the war in Ukraine are from Poland’s point of view, apart from the fate of Ukraine itself, replied: “We must understand that the stakes of this war are also Poland. Unless there is some fundamental change in Russia, some shock, this imperial policy will continue. And even if there is a change, e.g. as a result of failure in the war, it is unlikely that there will be a lasting turn towards democracy, but that would only be possible with a radical change in the attitude of the West, and a rapid change at that. At best, it will be a period of mourning, but with the aim of restoring the possibility of making conquests. [ii]
In an interview for the weekly “Gazeta Polska” Jaroslaw Kaczynski said that as a man he would like Poland to have nuclear weapons, but as a politician he knows that it is unrealistic. In his opinion, it is necessary to strengthen sanctions and to hit the things that will hurt Moscow: oil and ports. “But the West must want to hit Russia seriously. Such sanctions would work quickly. Not overnight, but quickly. But all the time there is a German veto on this,” – he added. According to the chairman of the Polish ruling party, such an attitude of Germany results from its interests and dependence. As he said, Germany still sees itself as Moscow’s partner, and its energy resources are considered to be the basis for the expansion of the German economy.[iii]
Kaczynski: Need for increased number of American troops in Europe
In turn, in an interview for the German newspaper “Welt am Sonntag”, the President of the Law and Justice party said that Poland would “welcome” an increase in the number of American soldiers in Europe. He also stated that Poland could store American nuclear weapons.
Kaczynski also said that “NATO should do more” to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. He indicated that “a peacekeeping mission” should be carried out if Ukraine agrees, and “finally deliver the weapons that President Zelenski strenuously asks for.” In this context, he also stated that he was “very dissatisfied with the behavior of the German government.”
“The eastern flank must be much better protected in the future than it has been so far. Let’s face it: the soldiers of the American nuclear power are the strongest factor preventing Russia from attacking NATO countries and they provide us with the greatest security” – Kaczyński pointed out. “We would like to have in Poland a large NATO operational command (Joint Force Command – JFC) such as in Brunssum, from which joint NATO operations would be planned and conducted” – the Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs also stated. As he said, “this would be a clear signal to Moscow that NATO leadership is now also present in the East.” “This will be part of the talks that are currently taking place within the Alliance,” he conveyed.
Kaczynski also stated that “if the Americans asked us to store their nuclear weapons in Poland, we would be open to it.” “It would significantly strengthen Moscow’s deterrence. At the moment this issue does not arise, but this may soon change. The initiative would have to come from the Americans. In principle, however, it makes sense to extend the sharing of nuclear weapons to the eastern flank” – believes the president of the Law and Justice party.[iv]
At the beginning of April, Poland signed a contract with the United States for the delivery of 260 the most modern Abrams tanks for over $ 4.5 billion. The order is to be completed by 2026. The first 26 tanks are to be delivered to Poland this year.
The law on confiscation of property of Russian entities
The Polish Parliament received a government bill “on special solutions to prevent supporting aggression against Ukraine and to protect national security”. The regulation provides for the freezing of assets of persons and entities that will be included in a special list kept by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration.
“Thanks to this project, we will be able to freeze assets in the country to a wider extent, and later (…) we will present a draft amendment to the Constitution such that allows confiscation of these assets,” Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said. He said that it will allow the Polish state to confiscate assets of those entities that are on the sanction lists, but also those that “directly or indirectly support the activities of the Russian Federation or its military activities in Ukraine.”[v]
The Polish planned regulations go further than the existing EU sanctions. Under the draft, the freezing of funds will apply to, among others: cash, checks, money orders, deposits placed with financial institutions or other entities, securities, bonds, and stocks and shares. The freezing of economic resources, in turn, will apply to assets of any kind: tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, which are not funds but can be used to obtain funds, goods or services. Listed entities will not be able to carry out public procurement. Provisions that block at the national level the import of coal from Russia are to be written into the law.
Conslusion
The Polish government has been one of the strongest critics of the Kremlin’s military actions in Europe, and has demanded that the Western world take the most decisive action against Russia, which would consist in cancelling supplies of Russian energy resources and isolating the country internationally. In Polish and foreign media, as well as in international forums, Polish politicians call for Western unity, stronger NATO support for Ukraine, and the economic isolation of Russia. Poland considers the support of Ukraine and the weakening of Russia’s imperial policy, thanks to its economic weakening, as its national interest guaranteeing security with the support of the United States and NATO.
[i] The Polish Press Agency https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/polacy-o-zbrojnej-interwencji-nato-wiecej-jest-za-6752769430055456a
[ii] The Dziennik.pl Portal https://gospodarka.dziennik.pl/news/artykuly/8393610,jaroslaw-kaczynski-wojna-ukraina-rosja-polska-zamach-smolensk-dowody.html
[iii] The Busienssinsider.pl Portal https://businessinsider.com.pl/wiadomosci/kaczynski-chcialby-broni-atomowej-w-polsce/j9gbkb7
[iv] The Wprost.pl Portal https://www.wprost.pl/polityka/10675789/kaczynski-gdyby-amerykanie-poprosili-nas-o-przechowanie-ich-broni-jadrowej-w-polsce-bylibysmy-na-to-otwarci.html
[v] The Money.pl Portal https://www.money.pl/gospodarka/zamrozenie-aktywow-to-za-malo-polska-za-konfiskata-majatku-oligarchow-6754500457261600a.htm