The article was published in No. 27 "National Policy" (winter 2022).

The possible of Poland is much smaller than the powers that form planet politics. 2 specified entities are in the immediate vicinity of our country. This determines the request to increase its potential, as well as the pursuit of maximum integration of its own large space and defragmentation of hostile empires.

The policy of all large nation should be to formulate slogans which, in serving its strict well-being, are universal. Post-Revolutionary France has given the principles of “freedom, equality, brotherhood” a mark of universalism and, as a result, Europe has been dominated by French reasoning for decades and Paris has become the center of cultural life, the rationale of ideas. specified a policy was besides pursued by russian Russia and Nazi Germany – the first 1 giving the mentioned mark of universalism to communism and trying to make Europe communist, the 3rd Reich by utilizing anti-bolshevik slogans, which in the first place served the interests of this country. This is the policy of the United States of America that advance liberal democracy as an perfect system. This is what modern Germany does, uniting around imagination Energiewende and the European Green Deal a full scope of countries. China, leading a "non-ideological" policy based on common benefits, besides attracts and makes dependent upon each another countries disappointed in their cooperation with the West.

The large nation needs not so much a subjective thought of its policy as a transnational cultural idea, a universalistic imagination of a better world, an expansion of certain nonsubjective values. In the 19th century Poland's egoistic national interest was to place emphasis on the rights to the state existence of nations deprived of the state. This is how the slogan “for our freedom and yours” was coined, which, it seems, can inactive keep up to date in any way. For contemporary Poland, again threatened by imperialism both east and western, the only hope of maintaining sovereignty is to build in Central and east Europe a block of national states cooperating in the defence of their freedom and the maximum weakening of the "Russian world" and the emerging European superstate.

SEE ALSO: Stanisław Piasecki: thought Imperialism

Imperialism

Modern reality is shaped in the spirit of large spaces. These spaces are liquid and no longer define, inter alia, as a consequence of the improvement of virtual reality, the standard borders of states, but the boundaries of empires, defined here in rule not as centralised areas of dominance of 1 entity over others, but civilizational areas connected by a common identity. present the large space of the “Russian world” is shrinking, and the large space of “European” is taking shape, resulting in independency from the American empire (which began to specify its large space by declaring Monroe’s doctrine). Between them is the space of Central and east Europe, which just needs to specify its “largeness”.

The thought of creating political sovereignty of the area of Central and east Europe must become a large thought of the Polish people – it is simply a essential condition for maintaining its independency and allowing political, economic, cultural, etc. Unfortunately, Poland is besides weak to withstand threats from both the West and the East.

At the same time, there is no another nation in the region that would be as predestined as the Polish people due to their material and spiritual possible to play a leading function in the creation of a fresh large area. This does not mean striving for dominance – this is not possible due to the comparative balance of power of the entities that could encompass our large space. The proposed Polish imperialism has nothing to do with possessive Russian or American imperialism. This is an thought of cooperation between independent states to prevent abroad forces from intervening in a large area territory covered by a certain rule of order. In the beginning, after planet War II, the cooperation of Western European countries developed similarly. Polish imperial nationalism should have elements of imperialism of the British Commomwealth from the 20th century and exterminate the elements of British chauvinism from the 18th century, which led to the outbreak of U.S. separatistism. Historically a manifestation of Polish imperial thought was the task of the Republic of Poland from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Lithuania was forced to enter the Polish large space at any point due to its weakness, strength of Poland and the threat from the East – to the Union from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries and 15th and 16th centuries caused it to endure severe disasters in the war against the Tatars (at the end of the 14th century) and Moscow (at the threshold of the 16th century). This does not mean that the Lithuanian elite left their independency seamlessly – rather adequate to mention the bloody conflict fought in 1435, after Jagiełła's death, with Świdrygiełła, a fronting against Poland, beaten at Wiłkomierz by the Holy River. Eventually, Lithuania, in order to defend their independence, was forced to abandon the thought of self-sufficiency, which at the time could not be sustained, and to enter into the large space of the Republic, whose civilization was much more attractive than the large space forming in the east. many parallels to this situation can besides be found in modern times.

By healthy imperialism of the 21st century. seeking a union of respective states to establish a common large space, without the regulation of 1 state or nation over others.

Prometheism

In the 20th century, the Polish nation clashed with only 1 country with imperial structure – Russia and later the USSR. Hence the Promethean idea, the concept of "dismembering" the empire after the national seams. It was besides present in the activity of a multi-national political and intellectual movement, which brings together Polish, Georgian, Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Tatar, South-Caucasian and Turkic activists ready to cooperate with the Polish state against the increasing influence of the communist russian state.

Breaking up countries with a large number of national minorities into a number of fresh political organisms, mutually neutralising, lay in the interest of the Polish state. This action is linked to supporting nationalist and separatist movements and combating universal ideas, e.g. communism or – present – liberalism.

Today Poland has been in the most favourable geopolitical situation in at least a fewer 100 years. Between Germany and Russia there was a national awakening of Ukrainians, as well as, to a lesser extent, Belarusians. Both nations clearly feel their separateness from Moscow. In the case of Kiev, this is rather unambiguously related to pro-Western tendencies, The Belarusians are inactive in a certain way, but the next fewer years will be more specific. The dream of Polish strategists of the interwar period became a reality. This creates much more opportunities for the influence of the Polish state in the East. The very fact that there is an independent Ukraine and a rebellious Belarusian nation is simply a powerful asset in the hands of Warsaw.

Strong Russia will always be a threat to Poland. Despite large advancement on this background, the ideas of the Prometheans are inactive present. The maximum withdrawal of the Russian world, the breaking out of it of Belarus, Kazakhstan and another states and nations, is in the vital interest of the Republic. This had previously been done to any degree with Georgia. However, this should not be a one-time "flash", colorful revolutions without the thought of a continuation. States and nations of the “Russian world” can weigh towards the collective West, China, or... Inter-sea, if they can integrate enough. And this is the only way to make Poland truly large and sovereign, so that is what the efforts of the full nation should be aimed at.

At the same time, a political, economical and cultural threat is expanding for Poland from the widely understood West. Let us emphasise this with all determination – the real military threat from Russia does not justify giving up sovereignty for the West. Its possible is adequate to permanently deprive the Polish people of the ability to decide their own fates, including through a combination of political and economical pressures, the usage of dominance in the technological sphere or the usage of extended organization influences to advance liberal ideology about the novelist lynx, which is alien to the Christian heritage of the Polish people and the enemy of the self-conception of the sovereignty of the nation. Its dissemination is simply a fundamental threat to Poland.

In the West, an imperialist entity is now forming – the federalized European Union. This is no longer a "conspiracy theory", but the authoritative goal pointed out, among others, by the French president or in the coalition agreement of the German government. There is simply a call to make the European Union a "geopolitical player" who will be able to compete in the 21st century. The German Chancellor speaks plainly of the request to abolish the rule of unanimity in votes. Further enlargements (including Ukraine and Northern Macedonia) are dependent on a number of very concrete reforms to service the transfer of power from nations to EU-dependent civilian society funding. Germany is one more time starting powerful reinforcements, seeking to make the Bundeswehr the "best-equipped force in Europe" due to the fact that "they are ready to take on the leading work for the safety of our continent" (as Chancellor Scholz said). At the same time, Brussels is increasingly disciplining with financial instruments countries whose governments do not find acceptance according to the ideological key – Poland and Hungary, and there is no opposition to threats even to Italy.

The European Union is slow transforming into a unified common ideology imperial structure led by Germany and, as a younger partner, France (in this country, opposition to federalisation is inactive strong). The more integrated it will be, the greater the threat to the sovereignty of the Polish state. It is so a natural implication to support all separatist aspirations within the EU itself, i.e. political parties, organisations or think-tanks that aim at sovereignty of their homelands. The modern Promethean thought besides applies on this background. Freedom of nations is the only shield protecting us from hostile imperialism. Of course, Russia will besides benefit from the defragmentation of Europe – under these conditions it will be able to play against each another to rebuild its empire in peace. Then it will depend on the strength of the will of the Polish people and the origin of the Polish state what position we will get. However, this situation is much more favourable than the failure of sovereignty in a situation of "pressing" 2 empires.

SEE ALSO: Andrzej Trzebiński: In the climate of imperial culture

What about Ukraine?

The key to reallocating the possible of the Polish State through regional cooperation is relations with Ukraine – a state of the modern and mass nation that has proven its worth. Ukrainians are so a full partner for conversation and effective cooperation.

Ukraine, like Lithuania in the 15th and 16th centuries, faces an existential threat from the East. Poland, like half a 1000 years ago, has, despite all its objections to the III Poland, a large possible that allows it to conduct a subjective policy and become a regional centre of gravity. However, both in Poland and Ukraine, the thought of self-sufficiency is inactive strong, which, under the present conditions, is only in the hands of neighbouring empires that can play both nations against each other. It is so essential to identify areas of cooperation and to make them consistently in order to make the conditions of actual interdependency between both nations, which will accomplish "synthesis" and make an alternate civilizational area. This requires decades or centuries of labour in 1 direction. Now possibly within Western structures, and in the future rather alone. Only the Polish-Ukrainian community can supply both nations with a happy existence. Any Polish-Ukrainian misunderstanding will be utilized by neighbors to the detriment of both nations, which do not have a chance of full sovereignty erstwhile they are divided.

So let us show the basic fields where cooperation is already developing and where it can make in the future.

Policy – present Poland is in the Western planet the main spokesperson fighting the Russian aggression of Ukraine. Unprecedented diplomatic, humanitarian and military support is simply a manifestation of the awareness of decision-makers in Warsaw that the war behind our east border is besides our war, due to the fact that Ukrainians are taking distant the threat from our borders from Moscow. Just as this has happened many times in history. The war is actually fought to defend the sovereignty of our common large space. In this situation, the community of interests of Warsaw and Kiev has become impossible to notice, which is simply a large chance for the future of the Mediterranean.

According to the report, Poland and Poles with the eyes of Ukrainians prepared by the Juliusz Mieroszewski Centre for dialog 3⁄4 Ukrainians admits that their opinion about Poles has changed for the better since the outbreak of the war with Russia. Generally, there is simply a consensus in Ukrainian society on sympathy for Poles who are commonly described as “friends” or “brothers”. What is interesting – almost 1 in 3 Ukrainians would like to see "a strong community, something like a federation in which countries agree on a abroad policy, the border is only symbolic and citizens have full freedom of movement and work in both countries". A akin percent would like a slower relation – an alliance in which Poland and Ukraine would consult their policies, and crossing the border between countries would be importantly improved. For Polish society, akin studies were not conducted, but erstwhile observing the Polish public debate and another studies concerning relations with Ukrainians, it can be assumed that the results would not disagree radically. At the moment, political cooperation is reflected, for example, in the announcements of establishing a common customs control or giving peculiar position to Poles in Ukraine. In the future, it would be a good step to establish the Inter-Mortal League – a regional organisation, like the Nordic Council or the League of arabian States, whose individual bodies could work towards deeper economic, military, cultural, etc. The Intermarine League could be a improvement of cooperation held within the Lublin Triangle.

Energy and the economy – Poland and Ukraine, through the integration of their energy potentials, can be immune primarily to Russian blackmail. Energy is the key to the integration of the region of the Mediterranean and the Tri-Mediterranean region, and cooperation in this area has already made crucial progress. Ukraine was attached to the electricity strategy of continental Europe. In addition, the power line Rzeszów – Chmielnicka atomic Power Plant with a voltage of 400 kV is expected to be ready in December. Its method connections are 1,000 MW, which means 4–6% of the winter electricity request in our country. In fact, Poland already has a connection with Ukraine as part of the energy line Goods – Zamość with a voltage of 220 kV. A wide scope of perspectivesthe plan of the Sarmatia oil pipeline Brody – Adamowo, which would let the supply of oil from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran through Georgia, the Black Sea to Ukraine and Poland. Its possible capacity ranges from 5 to 10 million tonnes of oil per year. Baltic tube and Gasoport projects in Świnoujście are besides of large importance to Poland. Thanks to them, our country becomes an energy distributor in Central and east Europe. The Czechs, previously reluctant, asked Warsaw to resurrect the construction of the Stork II gas pipeline. At the Polish-Slovak border in Strachocin a gas interconnector was created, which will let gas transmission of 5.7 billion m3 (on a yearly basis) towards Poland and 4.7 billion m3 (on a yearly basis) towards Slovakia. Gas flowing through Baltic tube and to the LNG terminal in Świnoujście can besides scope Ukraine. presently blue fuel goes to our east neighbour mainly through a point in Hermanowice. Especially in the face of the cut-off of our countries from Russian energy, it is desirable to grow the energy infrastructure connecting Poland (which is now a window to the planet for Kiev) and Ukraine.

Infrastructure – large spaces shrink by the improvement of railways or air connections. Currently, the communication of Poland and Ukraine is incomparably worse than, for example, Poland and Germany. The main barrier is the difference in rail spacing – Ukrainian lines have a 1520 mm spacing and European 1435 mm spacing. At the moment, the European track already leads to a border crossing in Rawa Ruska in the Lviv region. The “Europeanization” of the routes of Lviv – Kiev, Lviv – Odessa and Lviv – the Krzywy Horn is besides planned. The CPK company plans the large velocity Railway on the Trawniki – Zamość – Bełżec way as part of the improvement of the KDP network on the Warsaw-Kijów section. The next “European” way is to be built on the basis of the existing Kiev railway line – Ja hours, on which a night train to Warsaw presently runs. Changes in the spacing of Ukrainian tracks would besides open the way for Polish trains to the port of Odessa, as well as to Turkey via Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. In this way, this transport corridor would be greatly improved in terms of both freight and passenger transport. Looking further – after the construction of the rail line through the territory of Ukraine, from the border with Poland, through Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Iran, which have a “European” track spacing, there could be a link between China and Europe bypassing Russia, which creates immense opportunities. Connecting the territory of Ukraine to the task of the Central Communication Port should be another strategical goal of the Polish State.

Identity, culture and education – to begin with, let's give the level to an outstanding investigator of Rusi history, Prof. Jerome Played:

And in our common image of Poland, and earlier inactive the Polish-Lithuanian monarchy, is actually treated by us according to a very simplified model. It is Polish-Lithuanian at most, and it is Polish. Evidence doesn't should be found far. It is adequate to scope for our school textbooks to realize that everything that is good in this period, during which we are looking for the roots of our parliamentary system, our contribution to European civilization, references to Polish tolerance, a state without stacks, etc., is usually given to us with the adjective “Polish”, losing along the way is the multidimensional, multiethnic and, which is no little important, multiconfessive wealth of this creation, which was the Republic of Poland. Therefore, in our textbooks, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Slayer of Swedes, Lithuanian hetman of the Podkijów line. The Pole is Jarema Wiśniowiecki, a routineized descendant of Lithuanian Giedyminovich. The Pole is Konstanty Ostrogski, the Slayer of Moscow from Orza. And so on. The 1 to whom the year was dedicated by the Polish Sejm, the tragic hero of Cecora, Stanisław Żółkiewski, was the boy of the future Orthodox Russian bishop. This could be multiplied, besides enriching Lithuanians, Germans, Armenians, Tatars, Jews.

The past of Poland is not only the past of lands between Odra and Bug. Poland has almost always developed in contact with Rusins, Lithuanians, etc. In time, these contacts began to grow closer. The area of the Mediterranean was a separate microworld, which included a full scope of peoples, religions and various relations between them. Even erstwhile they were fighting – these fights were a household dispute. It just happened. Why, then, present do we have this multidimensional identity by force to polonium? During the times of the Republic of Poland, apart from being Polish, he was besides a citizen of a powerful state located between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. It is simply a model – taking into account the fact that modern national states be – desirable besides today. all Pole should besides feel a associate of a larger community. At the moment, the European community is most frequently active in this role, which is part of a progressive cultural conquest led by a hostile empire. The large mission of the Polish people is to build an alternate community.

Therefore, a good direction of Polish-Ukrainian cooperation would be to agree on curricula in schools. In past lessons, it is worth highlighting the function of joint ventures, the importance of winning battles, where blood was poured into the arms of Polish, Lithuanian and Russian knights. presently in Poland, the main languages taught, alongside English, which is the modern lingua franca, are German and Russian, with the advantage of the former. This is the consequence of trying to include Poland in the framework of the western large area. To replace it with Ukrainian discipline (or e.g. in the Lithuanian or Belarusian Podlasie), while besides introducing Polish language to Ukrainian schools, would be a milestone in creating a community of the spirit of our region. It would besides be desirable to introduce the subject, where the cultural foundations of the various peoples of the Mediterranean would be presented. School trips should first go alternatively of Paris or Geneva to Polish Kresy and then to Tallinn, Riga or Kiev. Similarly, cooperation in the academic field is crucial – a good example is the beginning of a branch of the Białystok University in Vilnius. Joint investigation and cultural projects are besides very needed.

Security – cooperation in the field of military or intelligence is highly desirable in our geopolitical situation. Polish-Ukrainian brotherhood of weapons associated with centuries-old fighting against Moscow is completely natural. In the past, Rusini was self-serving in the defence of the Republic of Poland (as Prof. Grywałski presented the attitude of “full recognition with the state”), present Ukrainians defend their independence, thus dispelling Russian threat from the borders of Poland. Our interests are mostly converging. Since the beginning of the war Poles have been 1 of the most many groups of abroad volunteers, and the scale of aid in military equipment from the Polish state is unprecedented. Military equipment is besides repaired in Poland. Ukrainian company UkrSpecSystems moved the production of PD-2 drones to Poland. Our country is mediated by purchases of Taiwanese drones Revolver 860. The peculiar Committee shall examine the anticipation of setting up a joint arms manufacturing company. Military cooperation could besides be extended to Turkey – Turkish Bayraktar drones will be produced in Ukraine and their user is besides the Polish Army. The integration of efforts is considerable. In 2016, the full operational readiness reached the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade, which had already participated in a number of global exercises. specified cooperation could include the establishment of a common combat group in the future to exploit Ukrainian military combat experience and aid the Ukrainian army to adapt to NATO's standards. In the event of harmonisation of equipment and procedures, any hardware and individual support in the event of future conflicts with Moscow would be much more effective.

To our freedom and yours.

The universal thought of the Polish state presents the slogan “for our freedom and yours”. It expresses the spirit of Polish imperialism, which is based on voluntary cooperation between national states, and the prometean strategy of the Polish state – Poland has a chance of greatness only if neighbouring empires are broken up in national seams.

The key to building our large space, the civilizational area of Inter-Mediterranean, is cooperation with Ukraine. The above article simply outlines the fields where this cooperation is already developing and where it can make in the future. A comprehensive discussion of the subject would require a comprehensive study prepared by a number of experts from individual fields – possibly specified a paper in government circles has already been created.

In Polish-Ukrainian relations, there are inactive historical disputes. They cannot be silenced or ignored in the name of "good neighbourly relations", but it should besides be remembered that our reality is happening here and now. The clarification of historical issues should take place in parallel with the improvement of cooperation in another fields. It will be much easier to make reconciliation, "sorry and ask for forgiveness" (because Poles besides appeared many times in Ukrainian past as negative figures) erstwhile our peoples just met and began to look to the future together.

Adam Szabelak