“The Russian imperialists are dissatisfied. We, the people of Central Europe, fear that Putin will succeed with his strategy, because Western Europe largely still believes that the real Europe begins in Germany and that what lies further east is a gray zone that can be divided. However, the West forgets that Russian imperialism has already proven that it will not be satisfied with the East alone. For the Russians, control over Germany has always been self-evident” – these decisive words of Prof. Andrzej Nowak, author of the monumental ‘History of Poland’, tries to shake Western public opinion in an interview for the French ‘Le Figaro’.
This is yet another voice of an outstanding historian in the Western media, after Andrzej Nowak’s ‘History of Poland’ and ‘Poland and Russia’ were published in English and German (published by the Polish Humanities Foundation). This is all the more valuable because it means that the Polish position – and more broadly, the perspective of our entire region – is beginning to reach Western public opinion.
In an interview with a prestigious French daily, Prof. Andrzej Nowak said draws attention to the fact that Russian imperialism poses a fundamental threat to the whole of Europe and is the main motivation for Putin’s actions. Falsification of history is an important tool for Russia. Prof. Nowak emphasizes that Putin “presents Warsaw as the main initiator of the Second World War and Hitler’s most important ally! “It is an obscene comparison, but Putin aspires and dreams of finding partners like France, Germany or the United States to convince them that we must return to a new Yalta against all kinds of ‘fascisms’.” The results show that such falsification of history is finding fertile ground in many Western circles.
Subsequently, Prof. Andrzej Nowak is critical of Germany’s attitude:
Germany still does not understand that its bilateral relationship with Russia will not be determined by trade. Russia plans to control Germany and use it for its own purposes. This is less likely for France, although of course the French should also know that some Russian circles consider as their own any country where the blood of Russian soldiers was shed – and they commemorate those who died in Normandy. (…) Nearly 80 percent The Russians, who draw their knowledge from Russian state television, receive the message every day that the West is the enemy and must be destroyed by dividing it, separating the United States from Europe and Germany from France . Moreover, the Russian regime also tries to divide the Americans internally and supports so-called realists, supporters of isolationism and anti-imperialists from the left.
Meanwhile, the role of the US in ensuring global security is enormous, as also mentioned by Prof. Andrzej Nowak in an interview with “Le Figaro”. It also indicates the specific Polish situation in this geopolitical puzzle:
I cannot imagine a scenario in which Donald Trump could become Putin’s puppet, his ego is too big for that. But his obsession with fighting his enemies, and his enemies’ obsession with fighting him, is something dangerous and discouraging. We have chosen the United States as our protector because we have no other choice. Germany cannot guarantee our safety. As you can see now, they are completely defenseless. France cannot be a real alternative at the moment.
At the end of the conversation, the author of ‘History of Poland’ wonders what the future awaits Europe and especially Poland in the face of an increasingly aggressive Russia. He recalls the legacy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which, together with Turkey, formed an “eastern barrier” to Moscow’s imperial aspirations for centuries.
I believe that Türkiye will never accept Russian imperialism. The same goes for Poland. I don’t think Putin will attack Poland as long as NATO exists and shows that it can respond. Putin is not a crazy, nervous man. He calculates his chances very carefully and will not attack a stronger opponent. We also have very good news from Sweden, because it has a military potential that, combined with that of Poland, would make the success of a Russian attack even less likely. The French initiative also gives hope. So I don’t think Putin will attack NATO in the coming years. Only the complete collapse of the United States could make this possible
– concludes Prof. Andrzej Nowak in “Le Figaro”.
IF
“Poland and Russia” and “History of Poland” by Prof. Andrzej Nowak (Polish version: publisher Biały Kruk; foreign language versions: Polish Humanities Foundation) are widely distributed in German and English, including: at the UN and the European Parliament, at universities and in countless media and libraries around the world.
The original interview in French was published here: https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/andrzej-nowak-les-imperialistes-russes-sont-insatiables-20240307
Source: wPolityce