Thread by @SlawomirDebski

Sergey Karaganov – a well-known Russian foreign policy shaman gave an interview to @MacaesBruno (Kudos!) for @NewStatesman which, I think, requires few comments. Here's my refelctions in 🧵:

newstatesman.com/world/europe/u…

2) Most of Karaganov’s views have always been based on wishful thinking, wrapped in intellectual arrogance ‘I know better” wisdoms announced ex-cathedra, followed by reluctance to defend his arguments when they were challenged.
bbc.com/news/av/world-…

3) He has never been interested in deepening knowledge about “in-between-states”, be it Central European countries or Ukraine, their policies, traditions of political thought and fundamental understandings of international politics. For him they have never had own agency.

4) As a result of his convictions he has never understood foreign policies of these countries. Most often he neglected them or interpreted their views through falsified prism of his self-delusions and myths.

5) He mentions Poland twice: first by saying that Poland is always willing to fight, so probably it’s the only NATO country eager to stick to art. 5, and second, suggesting that Poland will likely join Russia in partitioning Ukraine. First is illusion, second is arrogance.

6) The reality is: Poland is one of the greatest beneficiaries of international order based on the inviolability of borders. It wasn't just the first states to recognize Ukraine's independence in 1991, but also signed treaties on friendship and cooperation with all neighbours.

7) The idea of strengthening the rules based order resulted from not only Polish political tradition dating back to 14th century quarrels with the Order of the Teutonic Knights...

8) but also from realistic assumptions made by modern political thinkers and decision makers after 1991. The strongest influence on that way of thinking emanated from liberal intellectual emigres who since the 1940s published the journal "Kultura" in Paris.

9) One of them was Juliuszu Mieroszewski who since the '50s promoted the view that Poland must come to terms with its new borders and accept the loss of Vilnius and Lviv. He argued that the Poles must support Lithuanians & Ukrainians in their struggles for freedom of Russia.

10) In 1970 Mieroszewski wrote: “One of the chief assumptions of Soviet policy was to divide Poles and Ukrainians according to the tried and true maxim of divide et impera”

11) Mieroszewski argued: "Territory is an element of power only to a certain degree. In my opinion, if Poles, under favorable circumstances, took back Vilnius from Lithuanians, Lviv from Ukrainians - Poland's standing vis a vis Russia would be remarkably weakened...

12) Cities don't count - he continued - what does are nations. It's not about seizing Vilnius or Lviv, but about gaining the confidence and friendship of the Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian peoples." As we can see it is radically antithetical approach to one that Putin has.

13) Mieroszewski's views became dominant in Poland after 1989 thus Poland has never had territorial claims against its neighbours. Russia had – as her aggression on Ukraine proves. But Karaganov knows better and keeps projecting his own delusions on others.

14) Karaganov views are characteristic for the Kremlin elites who like to project their own imperialistic thinking and political methods, on others. Some may still want to listen them..unfortunately. That is why their manipulations should be exposed. #END