Poland and U.S. Launch New Chapter

The two presidents that stood in the Rose Garden this week have often been compared to one another. Presidents Trump and Duda both tend to upset some of the political elites in their country. Both have been accused by political opponents of seeking to undermine democracy--and in both cases quite unfairly. 

But, at their June 12 press conference, the two leaders announced to huge steps for U.S.-Polish relations. One, the U.S. will station about 2,000 new troops in Poland. For those who claim Trump is a puppet of Vladimir Putin, the increased U.S. military presence will make Russia furious. On another front, Trump plans to announce in the next 90 days that the United States will include Poland in the Visa Waiver Program, to make travel between the two countries easier. 

In September, Trump will again travel to Poland--site in 2017 of one of the best speeches of his presidency. The other is the recent Normandy speech. In both instances, he followed the script. 

In September, it will be to mark the 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland that started World War II. 

This has been a significant year for anniversaries in Poland. It's the 20th anniversary of the joining the NATO alliance and its 30 years since Poland had its first free and fair elections. Both of these were ultimate outcomes of U.S. leadership--chiefly by President Reagan. 

This comes a year after the 100th anniversary of Polish independence. Even this was one of the few bright spots of President Wilson's time in office. 

Komorowski: No Secondary NATO Members

President Komorowski reminded the world about the importance of Poland in the 20^th Century when he mentioned the Solidarity motto in a toast along with President Obama.

Photo Credit: ipdigital.usembassy.gov

“We were able to bring that wall down,” invoking Reagan. “We also totally destroyed it and we made it possible for Europe to be whole and free again.”

He then mentioned the Solidarity’s slogan: “There is no freedom without Solidarity.” And added, “There also is no freedom if there is no solidarity with nations who want have freedom but have not claimed it yet.”

Solidarity of nations is as important to Polish people and other nations of Eastern Europe now. And the strength of NATO is imperative.

“What is most important for us is to make sure that there are no second-category member states of NATO, that there are no countries about whom an external country, a third country like Russia can say whether or not American or other allied troops can be deployed to these countries,” Komorowski said. “ That is why the decision of the United States of America to deploy American troops to Poland is really very important for us, both as an element of deterrence, but also as a reconfirmation that we do not really accept any limitations concerning the deployment of NATO troops to Poland imposed for some time or suggested for some time by a country that is not a member of NATO.”

On the eve of June 4, the 25^th anniversary of Polish freedom, he said during a press conference with Obama that relations with Russia are important. Things have never been that smooth with Russia.

“NATO-Russia relations, I can tell you that the Western world -- including Poland, and I’m sure it goes for all other countries of NATO -- everyone is very much interested in developing as good relations with Russia as possible, and as good cooperation as possible,” he said. “Poland is also very much interested in the continuation of this uneasy process of the reconciliation beyond difficult history and painful history and bloody history.”

“A few years ago it was Georgia; now it is Ukraine, with a special focus on Crimea,” he later added. “President Putin didn’t hide -- he didn’t hide that these were elements of the Russian armed forces, and this is something that we have to acknowledge -- just the same way Russia never hid that for the last four years it has increased its defense budget twofold. We, ourselves, have to ask the question, why? For what purpose? And what does it have to mean for member states of NATO?”

“All of us are interested in Russia to get modernized so that it is possible to do not only good business modernizing Russia, but also develop relations of good neighborhood and cooperation in many dimensions, in many areas,” he continued. “But today we have to answer this situation that has come up by supporting independence of Ukraine and it tried to choose a pro-Western direction. We have to support the modernization of Ukraine, too.”

The Cold War is not returning because Russia is not yet a super power again. But it wants so badly to be again. That’s why it’s still a threat to its neighbors and potentially to the United States.

Obama’s Visit to Poland key to Affirming NATO’s Strength

I'm always interested when the leader of my current home and my former home meet. 

Polish President Komorowski and U.S. President Obama

Clearly President Obama's meeting this week with Polish President Bronisław Komorowski is among the most important post-Cold War meeting between leaders of the two countries.
 
It looks as though Vladimir Putin may have realized the gig is up and is yielding his expansionist ambitious. But as President Barack Obama is set to push Europe to be stand firm, it’s Poland that will push the U.S. president to stand even firmer against the Russian leader.

From the Associated Press:

 

President Barack Obama will press European leaders this week to keep up pressure on Russia over its threatening moves in Ukraine, while seeking to assuage fears from Poland and other NATO allies that the West could slip back into a business-as-usual relationship with Moscow. …

Yet those reassurances may be of little solace to NATO allies who sit near the Russian border, particularly Poland, where Obama will open his trip Tuesday. In April, the U.S. moved about 150 troops into Poland to try to ease its security concerns, but Obama is likely to get requests from Polish leaders for additional support.

"He's going to hear a very strong message from Polish officials that the mission has not been accomplished," said Heather Conley, a Europe scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "In fact, the work has only begun."

While in Warsaw, Obama will also meet with regional leaders who are in town to mark the 25th anniversary of Poland's first post-communist free elections. Among those leaders will be Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko, who won Ukraine's May 25 election and will hold his first bilateral meeting with Obama.

Can Kerry Continue?

Sen. Ted Cruz likes to be out ahead on things.

Secretary of State John Kerry (Credit: State.gov)

The Texas Republicans has called for Secretary of State John Kerry to resign for his slander of Israel reported by the Daily Beast, comparing the country’s defending itself to South African apartheid.   

But Cruz won’t stand alone this time around. 

There is already bipartisancondemnation from Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Mark Begich of Alaska. Though like most Republicans who condemned the remarks, they stopped short of demanding a resignation – for now. 

From the Daily Beast:

“A two-state solution will be clearly underscored as the only real alternative. Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second-class citizens—or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state,” Kerry told the group of senior officials and experts from the U.S., Western Europe, Russia, and Japan. “Once you put that frame in your mind, that reality, which is the bottom line, you understand how imperative it is to get to the two-state solution, which both leaders, even yesterday, said they remain deeply committed to.”

Kerry of course has attempted to walk back the comment, but one wonders if that works any better than walking back the “botched joke” in 2006. This surely won’t be forgotten.

Some are calling this anti-Semitism. I won’t judge Kerry’s heart. It doesn’t help that the reports surfaced on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

But one has to question his judgment and whether he can function in a role of leading U.S. foreign policy. When he became Secretary of State he gave up the option of speaking for himself. Now, he is always speaking for the country. And in doing so, he attacked America’s most valuable ally in the Middle East in a way that the U.S. 

As Boxer said, “Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and any linkage between Israel and apartheid is nonsensical and ridiculous.” Yet this administration is not making similar slanderous comments about very undemocratic countries. The worst we've heard about Russia's thuggery that it's a "regional power."

He may be somewhat insulated from demands for resignation given his chumminess with most members of the Senate – including many Republicans he served with.

But Sen. John McCain and some other Republicans who found his former GOP colleague Chuck Hagel unacceptable to be Defense Secretary – in part because of Hagel’s views on Israel – will have a tough time going to bat for Kerry.

Kerry had sought a historic role for himself, with deals to de-nuke Iran and broker a long sought after peace deal between Israel and Palestine. Those ambitions could unravel. It’s difficult to imagine he can continue leading peace negotiations after these remarks. The question is less: Should he resign? It’s really; can he even continue to function effectively in the job?

Well Deserved Sainthood

Pope John Paul II’s canonization as a saint was fast tracked, but is nevertheless well deserved.

Pope John Paul II and President Reagan (Credit: Poland.USEmbassy.gov)

At a time when Russia is behaving aggressively, John Paul’s actions in helping topple the Soviet Union are even more memorable, all of which is detailed in John O’Sullivan’s excellent book, “The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister: Three WhoChanged the World.”

 

The book explains how former archbishop of Krakow Karol Józef Wojtyla’s role was equal to that of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in crushing communism as a global threat. The godless ideology didn’t die (i.e. North Korea, China and Cuba), but it is no longer an inherent danger.

The first non-Italian pope in 400 years eagerly helped Poland’s Solidarity Movement’s opposition against communist control in his home country. As a native of Poland, it is such a privilege to live through such a historic moment.

Outside of geopolitics, Saint John Paul II demonstrated a Christian example to the world. He was a man of the people and realized we are all the creations of a loving God. In December 1983, he not only forgave but visited Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who shot him in an assassination attempt.

 

“I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust,” the Pope said after the visit.

Living out his faith and the assist in thrusting the Soviet Union on the ash heap of history is incredibly significant but not the miracles that warranted his sainthood.

French nun Marie Simon Pierre was cured of Parkinson’s disease and Floribeth Mora Diaz of Costa Rica was cured of a brain aneurysm, miracles attributed to Pope John Paul’s prayers.  

Pope John XXIII’s who had a short but influential papacy brought us Vatican II and was also deserving of being canonized on the same day.

"They lived through the tragic events of that century, but they were not overwhelmed by them,” Pope Francis said Sunday. “For them, God was more powerful; faith was more powerful -- faith in Jesus Christ the Redeemer of man and the Lord of history.”

  

Pope Francis said Saint John XXIII was “the pope of openness to the Spirit” and Saint John Paul II was “the pope of the family.”