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International

Poland open to new Ukrainian President

08.02.2010 07:15

Poland remains open to cooperation with the new Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, who won a narrow race in round two of the country's elections Sunday.

“The basis of our strategic partnership does not depend upon who is the current political leader [of Ukraine], but rather on strong shared fundamental values, interests and a vision of the future for our countries and nations,” stated Mariusz Handzlik, a minister in the Polish Presidential Chancellery.

Handzlik added that, for the Polish President, his Ukrainian counterpart is a strategic partner in both bilateral, as well as, international relations, maintaining that Poland has shown itself to be a supporter of Ukraine's membership in both the European Union and NATO.

“A free and sovereign Ukraine is key to our relations. We would like to see Ukraine as a fully-fledged member of the European family and as a modern, democratic state. That is what the Polish President wished for the new Ukrainian President and for our Ukrainian partners and friends in this election,” stated Handzlik.

The politician invited the Yanukovych to visit Poland as soon as possible, adding that the new head of state will be able to count on Polish President Lech Kaczynski for support and aid in dealing with the economic crisis and enacting democratic reforms.

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has been declared the winner of the country's Presidential elections. According to the Central Elections Committee, Yanukovich has 49.6 percent of votes to Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's 44.7 percent, with about 85 percent of votes counted.

Matias Ersi, from the Council of Europe's delegation of election observers, said that Sunday's second-round voting went off smoothly, was transparent, and recommended that the international community recognize the results. (mmj)

• Alex 08.02.2010 08:52 I'm glad to see that Polish radio doesn't call Yanukovich "pro-Russian" any more. Let's hope the smear campaign is over. But there's still some nasty aftertaste left in Ukraine.
  
  Poland should reevaluate its neo-imperialistic tendencies in relations with its eastern neighbors.
  Alex
• Jasiek 08.02.2010 10:06 Mr Yanukovich is fully entitled to be pro-Russian as well as pro-EU (incl. Poland). The worst case is that he becomes a lame duck who in a desperate attempt to regain his popularity both appeals to the nation's traditional defective mentality of violent xenophobia and resort to an opportunist approach between any two countries of entire Europe. I would cite Khmelnitsky and Bandera as the poorest examples.
  
  The collectivist illusion that some Ukrainian confrontationist fanatics are apt to ferment with the term “Poland's neo-imperialistic tendencies” is nothing but what comes from the unilateral constructivist approach towards the East by the old neo-cons in the US, a couple of extremely radical groups of the Roman Catholic Church inside Poland, and highly probably a large number of Polish-North-Americans who live on the safe side of the Atlantic and support those geopolitical and interventional ideology. I do not elaborate what has really happened in the last decades. Instead, I would present the Vasa dynasty and the then Jesuits, who were extremely eager to hastily proceed with the Counter Reformation eastward, as those who are to blame on the Polish side for making the then Ukrainians that obstinate.
  
  As for today, the current moderate approach of Poland towards Ukraine is desirable, based on such historical reflection. Jasiek
• Alex 08.02.2010 11:45 Thanks, Jasiek. Agree. Alex
• John 08.02.2010 13:17 Khmeltnicky is a national hero in Ukraine. He fought agains oppression of the Catholic religion and indeed imperalistic tendencies of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth in his stolen homeland of Ukraine (Ruthenia). Annexing Ruthenia and Halych (East Galicia) in the 14th century was not less or worse than British Empire annexing colonies in the West Indies, Africa and elsewhere. It is called theft today. Bandera was a bad guy, but please don't put Khmeltnicky on the same level will ya. He is symbol of a person you stands up against the elite and the oppression of the colonizer. It is a simple as that. John
• Jasiek 08.02.2010 14:21 John,
  
  Things are never that simple. If it was as you assert, why there were, for example, such figures as Prince Ostrogski and Prince Wisniowiecki, both of whom were prestigious Ukrainians from the Kievan Rus that spontaneously assimilated themselves to the Polish society and common sense, if not entire culture, and tried to mediate between the Poles and the native Ukrainians?
  
  The motive of Khmelnitsky's Uprising must have been much more private than you think just to demonstrate the grievances of him and his Cossack peers whose properties had been confiscated due to the legal discrepancies between the Commonwealth (i.e. personal possession) and Ukraine (i.e. common possession by group) so that, they expected, King Jan Kazimierz of Vasa would hear their demands. But, without consent of the Polish Parliament King could not do anything. In addition due to Cossacks' defiance against the Commonwealth and the selfish activity of sacking regions of the Ottoman Empire, albeit having pledged allegiance to the Commonwealth, that jeopardised the pacifications previously exchanged between the Commonwealth and the Empire, the Parliament had come to regard the Cossacks to be villains to either calm or crack down. It is when, as the latter option was taken as technically impossible, the Commonwealth took the former that Khmelnitsky and a magnate (I just don’t remember – was it Prince Wisniowiecki?) clashed. Indeed, Khmelnitsky had a reason. But, once they kickstarted the rebellion, it snowballed so much that Khmelnitsky could not stop it any more until it turns to be from a private demonstration to a nationwide uprising against Warsaw or he would be sentenced to death by the Parliament. Thus it did not stop until Cossacks devastated everything on the Ukrainian soil. Its right aftermath proves it.
  
  Poles and Ukrainians all start from the common understanding of this particular event, or it is Ukraine that would suffer the disintegration and chaos for ever. In the historical issue Poland is already on halfway as they have admitted their own faults rightly. Now, unless Ukrainians step as a whole towards Poles, Poles should stay away from them, or Ukrainians may either demand for more concessions from Poles or challenge them sometime again in the future. This issue is so sensitive that Poles should not be in a hurry to settle it. Jasiek
• Alex is an idiot 08.02.2010 15:46 "Poland should reevaluate its neo-imperialistic tendencies in relations with its eastern neighbors.
  Alex"
  
  This comment proves that
  Alex is an idiot
• RJ 08.02.2010 15:53 John, the catholic religion wasn't oppressing the Cosasacks and Ukraine was run by local nobility as the Commonwealth was weak. The cossacks oppressed Ukrainians later under Russian rule.
  
  As for the current poilitical situation in Ukraine, Poland should stay out of it. At least Yanukovych does not support the fascist UPA/OUN. RJ
• Alex 08.02.2010 16:07 My dear anonymous pal:
  
  Many in Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania are sick and tired of Polish interference. Don't try to destroy. Assist and build up, instead.
  
  But it seems that recently Poland has been turning into a more rational regional player. God's speed!
  
  Alex
• Alex is a liar 08.02.2010 18:23 "Many in Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania are sick and tired of Polish interference."
  They are concerned about Russian interference. Therefore, this comment proves that
  Alex is a liar
• Alex 08.02.2010 18:27 Both Poland and Russia have been interfering with internal affairs in Ukraine. In event leading to and following "the Orange Revolution" Poland was especially nasty. Some Ukrainians fear for their country to be split between Poland and Russia. Alex

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