Europa-Russia? Polonia-Germania? Zbigniew Brzeziński

Poland: An Actor or a Player?
The Warsaw Voice, 26 April 2006
Prof. Zbigniew Brzeziński, former U.S. Presidential advisor to U.S. President Jimmy Carter gave a lecture during conference "Poland in Europe in the Face of Global Challenges" in the Center for International Relations in Warsaw. His speech was entitled "Europe as a Global Actor in International Politics." Here are some excerpts:
/.../ We need to have a policy toward the East. I happen to strongly believe that the successful democratic Ukraine will help develop a successful democratic Russia. By the same token, a failed democracy in Ukraine will delay the transformation in Russia and maybe even divert Russia in negative directions. There is a problem today in our relationship with Russia. Western expectations, both American and European regarding democracy in Russia, have proven to be excessive and based to too much on personal assessments. We'll see how the G8 works out in St. Petersburg. We'll see whether talks on energy security will really lead to real energy security. If the G8 meeting is a success perhaps it will lead to some renewal of the democratic process evolution in Russia. There has been talk of expelling Russia from the G8 including from some very prominent American politicians. I do not favor that because I think that the G8 has some utility.
/.../ Let me get to the conclusion that Poland can only play that role if it continues with its commitment to German-Polish reconciliation. This is fundamental. In the settling of reconciliation there can be differences but the differences cannot dominate the reconciliation. Reconciliation must dominate the differences and that is a very important, even subtle distinction. Poland can only play a role in Europe if it is truly reconciled with Germany. Poland's influence in Washington is not going to increase but to diminish if Poland's commitment to German-Polish reconciliation is weaker in any fashion. So Poland also has strategic choices to make. It also has contributions to make if Europe is to be both an actor and a player.