Obama Reaffirms Unwavering Commitment to Poland Sovereignty

President Barack Obama has assured Wednesday in a speech at the Royal Square of Warsaw, the “unwavering commitment” of United States (U.S.) to the national sovereignty of Poland and other countries in the region that are intimidated by the recent actions of Russia Vladimir Putin in neighboring Ukraine.

On the 25th anniversary of the first semi-free elections in Poland, after decades under communist rule, the U.S. president described this country as an example of the benefits of democracy, the rule of law, free trade and freedom of expression.

Before the speech, attended by veterans of the struggle for freedom in Poland and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, Obama met with Petro Poroshenko, newly elected president of Ukraine, and offered him the support of the first power ” not only in the coming days and weeks but in the coming years. ” The U.S. president announced a new non-lethal aid to the Ukrainian armed forces, including night vision goggles, body armor and communications equipment. U.S. has so far resisted providing weapons to the former Soviet republic, which does not belong to NATO and therefore does not enjoy the umbrella organization.

Obama’s speech following the tradition of other presidents who spoke in favor of freedom from the Russian threat. In 1963, John F. Kennedy proclaimed that he was a Berliner in the newly divided by the Berlin Wall. In 1987, Ronald Reagan went straight at the foot of the wall and called ‘ Mr. Gorbachev, “the Soviet leader to bring him down.

Obama has another style. There was no direct Warsaw ‘ Mr. Putin ‘ or calls to change the geopolitical invocations. “I came to Warsaw on behalf of the United States, on behalf of NATO, to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Poland’s security. Article 5 [ of NATO ] is clear: an attack on one of us is an attack on all, “Obama said belligerently.

“Poland will never be alone,” Obama continued. ” And not just Poland. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania will never be alone. ” It was significant that at this point by citing the president to Ukraine. For Obama, the commitment to the defense of other countries passes for international law and membership of NATO.

As throughout Obama’s trip to Europe, which began Tuesday in Warsaw and ending on Friday at the beaches of Normandy, the message is addressed to different audiences. A host country on one hand and the American public on the other hand. But mostly the Russian President Putin.

“We believe that peoples and nations have the right to determine their future,” he said. ” Including the people of Ukraine.”

Obama’s speech in Warsaw and celebration comes at a time when democracy has apparently stopped the inevitable end of all political process. After the fall of communism, Francis Fukuyama spoke of the end of history: the triumph of liberal democracy. Now the Chinese model of authoritarian development – which was born the same day that the Polish elections under the rubble of Tiananmen Square, and presents an alternative object of fascination, for allegedly being more effective, including some Western elites.

The elections of June 4, 1989 were held after the roundtable that brought together representatives of the opposition to the communist regime. Solidarity ‘s victory was overwhelming. The Polish elections lacked photogenic fall of the Berlin Wall, five months later, but marked the beginning of the fall of the dominoes that would lead to the collapse of the USSR.

In 1989 Poland opened the first crack in the system of Soviet rule now, some in the region fear that returns in the form of a new Russian expansionist nationalism.

A Polish country hit in its history by its expansionist neighbors, Germany and Russia model. It is a peaceful transition model: dialogue – not -bombs as a means to expand democracy. And also economical. These days an eloquent argument repeats itself: in 1989, Poland and Ukraine, and neighboring countries of similar population, had a similar economic level. Now the per capita GDP in Poland is $ 13,394. The Ukraine is 3.919. There is no better advertisement for the benefits of membership of the European Union and NATO parliamentary democracy and the transformation of Poland in the last two decades.

“Thanks Poland for a victory not of weapons but of human spirituous,” Obama said. “There is no change without risk there is no progress without sacrifice, no freedom without solidarity,” Obama added.

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Posted by Nadeem Bajwa on Jun 5 2014. Filed under Latest News, USA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.