A year of war in Ukraine has resulted in conclusions, which previously had a hard time finding their way into the mainstream, an obvious eye-opener for Western elites and societies. The war launched by Russia proved to be a great test of views and policy effectiveness, dispelling many of the myths that Western politicians and opinion leaders have been duped into believing.
Putin’s true colors
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed the authentic nature of Putin’s regime and modern Russia. It was a dot over the i’s and crossed the t’s based on authoritarianism, a kind of imperial nationalism and militarism.
Admittedly, Russia experienced a brief democratic carnival in the early 1990s. It was very colorful for intellectuals, who remember it well, because you could publish what you wanted in a relatively pluralistic media. But at the same time, because of the economic collapse and the resulting immense poverty, it was a “fasting”, meatless carnival for the Russian “people”, who do not remember it well. The end of this period seemed hopeless. Vladimir Putin came to power. The complete decline of the Kremlin system and shameless corruption on a gigantic scale preceded this historic moment.
In the West, Putin is usually seen as a partner, if not a likable one. From the beginning of his first term until almost now. In these 20 years, the Russian president has played a political “dress-up” with different costumes. Once he pretended to be a pro-Western economic liberal and reformer. However, during his tenure, several indicators show his agenda and a bitter truth about his actions. The Russian elite has also revealed a certain way of thinking with some factors over the years.
The narrative motive of taking back “what is ours” from Ukraine has long been present among Russian politicians. For example, during the Orange Revolution in 2004, I remember the Moscow-Krym telebridge — a feeling of hatred against Ukrainians. Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, Putin’s political opponent, was talking about retaking the peninsula. I admit that at the time, like many others, it seemed to me to be just political folklore, sponsored with a lot of money. But ten years later, this folkloric trend became a reality, and Russia took Crimea. After the massive attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, all those who treated relations with Russia as part of the regular order of the globalized world lost most of their arguments.
Putin had to understand today’s principles of the functioning of Western countries. He imagined that this collective West (especially the U.S., looking lousy and lame after its withdrawal from Afghanistan) would allow him to change the global balance of power just like that. He believed his propaganda. This war has taught us not to believe cynical drivel.
We have often heard that Ukraine is a state that exists only on paper, with overwhelming corruption consuming the whole country. Moreover, it is basically incapable of living independently. Putin is becoming a victim of his own convictions. Meanwhile, it turns out that this country can exist and survive under difficult war conditions.
No morale, no victory
It also turned out how important it is to maintain a positive fighting spirit in wars. So-called realists often say that only naked force counts. We have responded with the irony, “How many divisions does the Pope have in our culture? While Western support, money and weapons are essential, Ukraine would not have survived without the spirit of its people. And it has been put to a tremendous test this past year. Moreover, Russia is achieving the exact opposite of its intended goals.
Russia has had a powerful influence over much of Ukraine for several centuries. It has influenced both high and popular culture. Human relations and economic ties as well. The border between Ukraine and Russia was quite fluid for centuries. Ethnic Poland was separated from Russia by Catholicism, a well-established state tradition, and a particular social structure. Poland did not absorb the Russian culture or way of life. The number of different levels of nobility played a central role in this.
Ukraine, on the other hand, has very slowly acquired a sense of self-identity. Specific communities, including nations, form in a much more complex and mysterious way than those who wish to simplify the matter would have us believe. The war, however, suddenly revealed a largely overlooked paradox of Ukrainian identification. It showed that the dedicated defenders of Ukraine were the inhabitants of the seemingly Russified east.
The voices of Russian native speakers can be heard in most of the recordings made at the front. The phenomenon of Russian-speaking Ukrainian soldiers is widespread. Russia is attacking the southern and eastern territory of Russian-speaking Ukraine. As a result of this decision, it has created on its borders the most anti-Russian country in Europe.
This achievement led to the “NATOization” of Finland, as Joe Biden rightly noted. As you can see – even the Russian-speaking inhabitants of eastern Ukraine did not turn out to be Russians. This is as important as the fact that they are fighting with Western weapons.
It is impossible not to compare the Russian-Ukrainian war with the Polish-Bolshevik war. Poland was reunited into one country after being divided into three parts with different currencies, official languages and laws. The Polish people rebuilt their country after being devastated by the World War. Poland resisted and won because it had soldiers who wanted to fight and knew what was at stake. The Ukrainians now, like the Poles then, quickly realized that they were fighting for their lives and well-being from the first days of the invasion. Either they would live at home or they would become a Russian colony for centuries to come. Ukraine will remember today’s war similarly to the Polish-Bolshevik war by the Polish people.
The end of laziness in the politics of Eastern Poland
There was a widespread belief among the Polish political class that history was coming to an end in our part of Europe. This feeling intensified after we joined NATO and the European Union and completely reoriented our policy towards the West. Suddenly we felt as if Poland’s geographical coordinates were where Portugal is. The countries beyond the 1,000-kilometer eastern border ceased to be the main subject of Polish politics. Only a few gestures and phrases remained. The war proved that we had to recognize the political situation on Poland’s eastern border. I hope that this experience has brought about a real and lasting reorientation of Polish policy.
But the war will end one day. There is a real chance that we will be neighbors with a truly sisterly (to avoid the discredited word “brotherly”) country. Polish-Ukrainian mutual relations can bring many benefits to both sides and strengthen the position of the Eastern part of Europe. However, they must be equal, honest and based on concrete undertakings. People who work together for the common good always get along better.
Post-war Ukraine will be a badly devastated country and perhaps an important construction site and the immense military power in Europe. It should also be remembered that it will be a post-Soviet country for the next decade. The end of the war will not solve all the problems it faces. Let’s prepare for this possibility with a deep sense of cooperation.
The need to strengthen Poland’s security policy, alliances and military power seems obvious, and this is already happening. However, what kind of policy we should adopt towards Russia depends on the outcome of the war. Almost all Poles expect the defeat of this country, but we must consider various possibilities, including those that are less optimistic for us.
Russia will not disappear. Some form of Russian statehood will survive. And it is already necessary to think about different political concepts for this country. Post-war Russia may become a country of chaos or resentment, as we know it from the Weimar Republic. We should not be passive observers of what happens there. Nor is it wise to leave contact with the opposition there exclusively to the elites of the West.
It is always worth remembering that the great tragic war catastrophe, which Europe is experiencing for the first time since the Second World War, is also an opportunity for the countries in our region of Europe to open up to the new, rich window of opportunities.
Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy, Director of Belsat TV
Translated by PEV
