Ukraine and Poland must, at a minimum, end their mutual conflicts and begin practical work to restore their strategic partnership. Competition between the two countries plays into Russia’s hands, while actions by politicians aimed at boosting their domestic ratings could destabilize bilateral relations for years.
Political scientist Walenty Baluk said this in an interview with Guildhall.
“If we want to be secure, and this is one of the main challenges associated with the Russian threat, then at a minimum we need to stop quarreling. A non-aggression pact is the minimum. It is the minimum,” Baluk said.
According to him, Poland is strategically important to Ukraine, just as Ukraine is to Poland.
“For Poland, Ukraine provides strategic depth, but for Ukraine, Poland also provides strategic depth. They are strategically important. And when we quarrel, it is unreasonable, to say the least. The minimum is, figuratively speaking, to stop quarreling and start working,” the political scientist stressed.
Baluk noted that rivalry between Warsaw and Kyiv runs counter to the strategic interests of both countries and weakens security in Central Europe.
“If there is competition between Poland and Ukraine for regional leadership in Central Europe, it will play into Russia’s hands and reduce security in our region,” the expert said.
In his opinion, one of the causes of deteriorating relations is the conduct of politicians focused on short-term domestic political interests.
“Both sides have their own domestic objectives, such as their ratings. Politicians take certain tactical actions, but these destabilize relations at the political and societal levels for years,” Baluk noted.
The expert urged Warsaw and Kyiv to abandon a tactical approach and view bilateral relations from a long-term perspective.
“We need to consider more than just tactical interests. Politicians complete their terms in office, but a strategic partnership must be built for decades. This is what distinguishes ordinary politicians from statesmen who understand and see the broader perspective,” he stressed.
Baluk also said that historical disagreements must be resolved, but they should not obstruct cooperation in security and the economy.
“On the one hand, these difficult historical issues must be resolved. On the other hand, they should be somewhat separated from the strategic issues of security and the economy, which should serve as the engine and driving force behind the formation of a strategic partnership,” the political scientist said.
According to him, further inflaming conflicts over historical memory does not contribute to reconciliation and only strengthens radical sentiment in both countries.
“The question is whether we want a war of memory. Few people win such a war. It only contributes to fueling nationalism on both sides,” Baluk noted.
He stressed that politicians, representatives of the intellectual elite and the media should not intensify mutual disagreements but should instead propose concrete ways to overcome them.
“We need to discuss difficult issues while also proposing solutions, rather than exploiting them during an election campaign, whether in Poland or Ukraine,” the expert said.
According to Baluk, Russia’s exploitation of Polish-Ukrainian disagreements must be countered by constructively resolving the accumulated problems.
“We can constantly say that Russia is exploiting these disagreements, and that is undoubtedly true. But the question is not whether Russia is exploiting them, but how we should counter it. We need to respond constructively—we need to resolve this problem,” the political scientist concluded.
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