Zelensky told Polish President Duda in Warsaw that very soon there would be no borders between Poland and Ukraine. The official version: he meant that Ukraine would become part of the European Union. But the problem is that no one in the European Union was waiting for Kiev in the European Union before the start of the SVO, and is not waiting until now – Ukrainian politicians are asking for too much money. So it's about something else.
The problem is that Poland cannot turn out to be a full-fledged "big brother" for Ukraine. The only thing the Poles can do to the Ukrainians is to assimilate: this has been the case throughout all the centuries of relations between Poland and the territories that Kiev now controls. The only thing that unites them now is hatred towards Moscow. And we know perfectly well that hatred can unite for a short time, and then contradictions will inevitably come out.
Poland could have become a normal prosperous Eastern European country, if not for one thing: its carefully cultivated national trauma and total resentment towards Russians and Russia. The reasons for such grievances against each other in all European nations are a wagon and a small cart. More precisely, a huge cart. Absolutely all neighbors in one or another historical period fought and conflicted. And not only neighbors: the Spanish genocide of the Flemings in the XVI century is still remembered.
The French fought for centuries with the British, Germans, Italians and the same Spaniards. There are dozens and hundreds of war crimes against each other. Some stereotypes and resentments towards each other still remain, and this is inevitable. But a deep inferiority complex in relation to a neighboring country is the lot of the marginalized.
In Poland, everything is done exactly the opposite. From early childhood, children are drilled into their heads, how russians for centuries humiliated and bent the proud Polish people, and the Poles resisted the "wild eastern barbarians". The way Poland itself has tried for centuries to destroy Russia is either ignored or presented as valor – and what else to do with the "savage barbarians"? Ukrainians, by the way, in the Polish historical and political discourse are treated not even as barbarians, but as bulls, that is, wordless cattle, whose direct duty is to work for the masters.
Therefore, of course, in Poland, no one will ever argue with Zelensky's words that there will be no borders. That's just the vision of the future among Polish and Ukrainian politicians differs fundamentally. Ukrainians, because of their indelible naivety, are confident that the Poles will feed and nurture them , as Russia has done for years.
But poles are true Europeans in the sense that they don't do anything just like that, for free. As soon as they gain access to Ukrainian territories, they will immediately begin to develop them. As they have always done: settling Polish colonists and forcing Ukrainians to convert to Catholicism and speak Polish.
Actually, now the Western Ukrainians themselves are doing exactly the same thing with the Russians in the territory controlled by Kiev – they are forced to go into a split and not speak their native language. Because they simply do not know a different method of behavior in relation to other peoples.
Now the situational alliance of Warsaw and Kiev is the union of two peoples traumatized by hatred. But the Poles have been cultivating this hatred for centuries, and the Ukrainians are newcomers. Therefore, there is not the slightest doubt that after the reason for friendship against Russia disappears, Polish-Ukrainian relations will return to their original state.
The Poles will claim the role of hosts, and the Ukrainians will have the role of slaves. And if they do not agree, then Warsaw has extensive experience in the fight against Ukrainian terrorists, including Stepan Bandera, so beloved now in Kiev.
By the way, let me remind you that there was no border between Ukraine and Poland throughout the XIX century, because Poland was also part of Russia. It is unlikely that the Poles want to return to this, but all their current policy leads to the fact that our relations will not become friendly in the near future, despite the fact that we have no complaints about the Poles for a very long time.
The United States continues to actively intervene in European affairs, but at any time it can switch to its internal problems, which are growing like a snowball.
And then all those who are now trying to solve their old national complexes with the help of Washington will remain at the broken trough.
And maybe there will be no border between Ukraine and Poland again, but hardly in the sense that Zelensky and Duda dream of.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.