Marek Magierowski: On the cognition of American politicians, the fragility of Article 5 and the psychology of the Russian president

Information Agency: Marek Magierowski: I will tell you an anecdote from my earlier stay in Washington. It is simply a communicative of ignorance that can amaze, of dangerous delusions against Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and of mechanisms that drive Vladimir Putin's policy.

Marek Magierowski: Anecdota from the Capitol. “What is Warsaw?”

Let me tell you an anecdote about my earlier stay in Washington. As an ambassador I have been to the Capitol very often, visiting members of the home of Representatives and Senators and talking to them mainly about the Russian-Ukrainian War, due to the fact that it was a subject that they were most curious in, and secondly, as an ambassador to a key state in this full geopolitical constellation, I was going to make even more aware of what we are dealing with, what threats and what the immediate future of Central and east Europe is going to be.

I met with a Republican associate of the home of Representatives. I will not tell you your name – you will shortly know why. We are just discussing further bombings of Ukrainian cities, attacks on civilian targets. I am explaining to this gentleman where specified an eruption of solidarity and sympathy came from for Ukrainian refugees in these first weeks or even months of conflict, explaining to him that the very basis for this reaction was that we share a common enemy.

Irrespective of various historical injuries, regardless of the complicated past of bilateral relations – both our Polish-Carsko-Soviet and Russian history, as well as Ukraine's relations with Tsarsk, russian and Russian Russia – they were strong adequate and so marked our past that most Poles had doubts about how to behave in this situation.

I tell him: we are very curious in not having a repeat of Buczy, where – as you remember – the massacre of Ukrainian civilians took place; not having a repeat of Buczy in the suburbs of Warsaw. What does this associate of the home of Representatives ask me, “What is Warsaw?” He didn't ask me what Bucha was, he didn't say he didn't know precisely where Ukraine was on the map of Europe. He asked me what Warsaw is.

So very politely, after a three-second stupor that I fell into, diplomatically and subtly explained to him what Warsaw is.

Did people halt learning past and learn from it? Believe me, members of the home of Representatives and U.S. Senators – not all of them, of course, most likely a definite number – have cognition of history, especially our region or Europe in general, very little.

Marek Magierowski: Illusion of Article 5. Absolutely no military automation

I will mention to this illusion of Article 5. I've had the chance to talk about it many times. Unfortunately, there is besides a belief in Poland – possibly among political elites – that this Article 5 is unambiguous and in a very clear, clear way describes how members of the North Atlantic Alliance should behave in the event of a 3rd organization attack, and in this case, of course, mainly the Russian Federation, 1 of NATO members, should behave. "One for all, all for one."

There is absolutely no military automation.

Marek Magierowski: What will Western leaders do?

I took the liberty of 1 of the short digression tv programs, saying that let's not imagine that leaders – especially Western European countries specified as Germany, France or the United Kingdom, crucial and key NATO members – prime ministers and presidents, at the minute erstwhile Estonia, Lithuania or Poland will be attacked, in 1 form or another, will gather around themselves a group of generals, top military commanders and will urgently consider various options of consequence – reps for Russia's hypothetical attack on 1 of the NATO associate countries.

No, sir, they won't call the generals. The first thing they will do is call the polling institute they are working with, asking: “How will my constituents respond to specified a decision alternatively than another one? From my point of view, purely political, will it be beneficial if I declare now – even if I do not send my soldiers physically, a contingent of German, British or French troops – to Poland or Estonia? Even if I declare willing, willing to physically defend my allies, will my voters like it or not?”

This will be the first thought, believe me. And that's not due to my deep, secret political knowledge. My instincts tell me that this will be the first reaction of at least most political leaders in Western Europe. This illusion is besides very, very deep.

Marek Magierowski: ‘Riding the Tiger’: key to Putin’s understanding

I'm not a Russian expert, much little Putin. I did not read all his speeches and everything he wrote, he said during his political career, but I managed to read respective books written by people who – yes – read everything that Vladimir Putin said in the last at least 25 years.

One of these books was not published in Polish and can be obtained in English. A short book, 150-page, written by a Russian historian. His name is Leon Rabinovich Aron, an immigrant from the russian Union who went to America in 1978. It was an absolutely outstanding historian of judaic origin – who wrote respective books, including the biography of Jelcin. The last 1 of his books is called Riding the Tiger (i.e. Riding a tiger). He talks about Putin and is simply a fantastic, absolutely awesome intellectual analysis by Vladimir Putin.

Let me just quote to you: there is simply a passage – respective paragraphs – a dazzling thought. You see, Aron writes, Vladimir Putin is swimming in humiliation. That's an amazing sentence. He's swimming in humiliation. He is addicted to the constant repetition that Russia – and earlier the russian Union (as we remember, defined the collapse of the russian Union as the biggest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century) – is humiliated by the Western world.

Then we must break the shackles of humiliation. And Aron suggests – I think correctly, he's a much better specialist than Putin than we're most likely all taken together – it's like clue. This is simply a pick-me-up truly to realize everyone, that is, the majority, decisions, plans and imagination of the geopolitical president of Russia.

Marek Magierowski

Marek Magierowski – a message during the author's evening of Arkadiusz Siwka, devoted to his latest book "The Imperial Russia Comes", published by Zona Zero. The organizer of the event was XBW Foundation.

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AI Reviews, USA, Russia Mark Magierowski Source: XBW Foundation In the photo: Marek Magierowski, photo. Gov.pl, CC BY 3.0 en / 13.09.2025