Josh Palmer
27th July 2017, 09:31
Back in July 2017, Poland hosted a regular Three Seas Initiative summit. Notably, unlike last year the invitations for this event were received by only 12 EU member countries located between the Adriatic, the Black and the Baltic Seas, and the US President Donald Trump as a special guest. The summit was held under the aegis of reanimation of the Intermarium confederation project. American president Trump and his Polish counterpart Duda highlighted significant role Ukraine plays in transformation of the whole region, as well as the perspective of creation of a political, economic and military alliance with Ukrainian participation. The summit itself seems to have been called with the aim of Ukrainian reunification with Poland. But "the hero of the day" wasn't invited for that landmark event. Still, according to one of the documents leaked into the Internet, one of many just, the summit participants were mostly worried by inner political flaws in Ukraine. One sole national minority issue deserved a separate report. (pdf-archive.com/2017/07/26/3seas/)
This is how "big brothers" make decisions determining the fate of small Ukraine in the absence of Kiev. Undoubtedly, discrimination of national Diasporas in the country is a deeply discouraging matter that should be settled in the way determined by international laws and preferably in presence of the litigant. But this time it looks like blackmailing on the nod of the top overseas guest. European neighbors of Ukraine are actually exploiting it as a tool to exert pressure both on Russia and the European Union.
And what does the EU have actually to deal with it? The Intermarium initiators focus on development of economic and energy infrastructure projects in the EU framework and on the EU money. It's appropriate in the context to recall the fact that initially the Intermarium idea was put forward by Pilsudski, a Polish socialist and nationalist still worshiped in Poland. It was in fact a geopolitical and defense project opposing the established confederative state both to the USSR and rest of Europe. The participants of the recent summits may of course keep denying any linkage between their multiple-vector, progressive and, most importantly, informal initiative with the former Polish ambitious plans to restore Rzeczpospolita within its 17th century borders. All in vain, the relevant impression is still very strong.
First of all, the list of the participant countries is worth paying attention to. Those trying to distance the project of the 30s from the modern initiative cite as an argument the participation of Austria in the summit. But they should be reminded of Austria's active role in the Rzeczpospolita partitions, as well as of closely intertwined historical backgrounds of the two states and long existence of the so called Austrian partition. Furthermore, the Visegrad Four headed by Poland sets the tone to the initiative. The latter has been openly at odds with Brussels not once this year due to political disagreements inside the Union and due to infringement of country's status as a EU member.
The finishing stroke to the picture was the presence at the summit of Donald Trump. The very fact of his victory at the presidential elections last November came as a shock for many countries of the "old" Europe and provoked a real burst of indignation with them. Later on, the EU-USA conflict only deepened, in particular, due to Paris Agreement on Climate Change It's worth noting that judging by the report on the Ukrainian national minorities the White House master didn't perform a role of a mere guest and some outside observer at the summit. His approval was officially documented at the end of the report. Moreover, once again confirming his reputation of a successful manager Trump was able to sign several profitable agreements with the hosts of the summit. These are, in particular, agreements on supplies of PATRIOT systems and American condensed gas.
Absence of Ukraine is also understandable: appearance of Poroshenko at such an event would definitely put German Chancellor and president of France on alert. They are leaders with whom Poroshenko has only recently managed to put relations on track. But the long standing desire of Kiev to join the Visegrad group and also the firmness with which the summit participants meddled into inner legislative and state structures of the country evidently testify to the fact that the entrance of Ukraine into confederation is the settled issue.
In a nutshell, under the pretext of the joint settlement of economic and defense issues in Europe there's the formation of a separate confederation of countries under the American aegis is underway. This is a confederation opposing both to Russia and the EU. Poland is evidently the leader and initiator of this creation. Now, it may be firmly asserted that Brexit which was the first one to hit the European Union was doing just childish sports in comparison with the split between "old" Europe and "young" Europe due to Intermarium initiative.
This is how "big brothers" make decisions determining the fate of small Ukraine in the absence of Kiev. Undoubtedly, discrimination of national Diasporas in the country is a deeply discouraging matter that should be settled in the way determined by international laws and preferably in presence of the litigant. But this time it looks like blackmailing on the nod of the top overseas guest. European neighbors of Ukraine are actually exploiting it as a tool to exert pressure both on Russia and the European Union.
And what does the EU have actually to deal with it? The Intermarium initiators focus on development of economic and energy infrastructure projects in the EU framework and on the EU money. It's appropriate in the context to recall the fact that initially the Intermarium idea was put forward by Pilsudski, a Polish socialist and nationalist still worshiped in Poland. It was in fact a geopolitical and defense project opposing the established confederative state both to the USSR and rest of Europe. The participants of the recent summits may of course keep denying any linkage between their multiple-vector, progressive and, most importantly, informal initiative with the former Polish ambitious plans to restore Rzeczpospolita within its 17th century borders. All in vain, the relevant impression is still very strong.
First of all, the list of the participant countries is worth paying attention to. Those trying to distance the project of the 30s from the modern initiative cite as an argument the participation of Austria in the summit. But they should be reminded of Austria's active role in the Rzeczpospolita partitions, as well as of closely intertwined historical backgrounds of the two states and long existence of the so called Austrian partition. Furthermore, the Visegrad Four headed by Poland sets the tone to the initiative. The latter has been openly at odds with Brussels not once this year due to political disagreements inside the Union and due to infringement of country's status as a EU member.
The finishing stroke to the picture was the presence at the summit of Donald Trump. The very fact of his victory at the presidential elections last November came as a shock for many countries of the "old" Europe and provoked a real burst of indignation with them. Later on, the EU-USA conflict only deepened, in particular, due to Paris Agreement on Climate Change It's worth noting that judging by the report on the Ukrainian national minorities the White House master didn't perform a role of a mere guest and some outside observer at the summit. His approval was officially documented at the end of the report. Moreover, once again confirming his reputation of a successful manager Trump was able to sign several profitable agreements with the hosts of the summit. These are, in particular, agreements on supplies of PATRIOT systems and American condensed gas.
Absence of Ukraine is also understandable: appearance of Poroshenko at such an event would definitely put German Chancellor and president of France on alert. They are leaders with whom Poroshenko has only recently managed to put relations on track. But the long standing desire of Kiev to join the Visegrad group and also the firmness with which the summit participants meddled into inner legislative and state structures of the country evidently testify to the fact that the entrance of Ukraine into confederation is the settled issue.
In a nutshell, under the pretext of the joint settlement of economic and defense issues in Europe there's the formation of a separate confederation of countries under the American aegis is underway. This is a confederation opposing both to Russia and the EU. Poland is evidently the leader and initiator of this creation. Now, it may be firmly asserted that Brexit which was the first one to hit the European Union was doing just childish sports in comparison with the split between "old" Europe and "young" Europe due to Intermarium initiative.