Poland’s Policy towards Russia
Poland’s Policy towards Russia

Summary/Abstract: The policy Poland pursued towards Russia in 2009 cannot be presented without invoking the dozen-plus years’ history of tangled bilateral relations, overwhelmed as they were by conflicts of strategic nature. The principal factor hampering the development of relations with Russia was the Polish authorities’ distrust with Russian activities in the security area. Poland watched with concerned Russia’s moves in CIS countries, fearing that neo-imperial tendencies, manifesting themselves with particular force during the Georgia war, could get the upper hand in Russia policy. An equally negative assessment was provoked by Russia’s differentiated policy towards the EU and NATO, where it was developing relations with selected, influential members of these blocs, especially Germany, France and Italy. And Russia was critical of Poland’s tightening strategic alliance with the US, as reflected in Polish support for US interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and readiness to have missile defence elements deployed on Polish territory.

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