The POLAND Story.

Previously posted on my Facebook page. Not updated. 

TWO things that come to my mind when Poland is the subject of talk. Start of World War II when Adolf Hitler’s troops invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. And “kielbasa,” the catch-all term for any Polish sausage. History and food. Meanwhile, Poland remains as a chief background take-off of political intrigues in Central Europe, especially between the United States, European Union, and Russia.

       Although Washington maintains its 32nd Air Base and 600 to 800 troops in Poland, the U.S. is not a chief economic partner. Major partners for exports are Germany, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, France and Italy and for imports: Germany, China, Russian Federation, Italy and Netherlands. Which means, Berlin is Warsaw’s top trade buddy, regardless of what went down in World War II.

       Chief industries: Agriculture, manufacturing and mining. Even though agriculture and manufacturing still play a significant role in the country's future, they are slowly losing their positions to the newly emerging industries. Which brings us to China.

       Chinese-Polish economic relations revolve around areas such as finance, agricultural technology, copper industry and coal mining. This also includes new areas like high technology, clean energy, labor, service and infrastructure. 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱

CONTACTS between Polish and Chinese people date back several centuries, especially in the mid-17th century when mutual trade was very active from 1950s to 1990s. Relations soured a bit in 2019 when Huawei employee Wang Weijing was arrested in Poland on charges of spying for China. Business, however, carries on.

       China continues to import more Polish agricultural and food products and other high-quality goods. Xi Jinping continually encourages more Chinese enterprises to invest in Poland, adding that he believes Poland will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.

       In February this year, China also reiterated its mutual work with Poland to establish a China-Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) wholesale market for agricultural products in Poland and make it a flagship project of China-CEEC cooperation.

       Meanwhile, the United States and Poland have enjoyed warm bilateral relations since 1989. Every post-1989 Polish government has been a strong supporter of continued American military and economic presence in Europe, and Poland is one of the most stable allies of Washington. 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱

Trump. Wars. And today's geopolitics.

Responses to Facebook chats.

THE real deal is more complex than how we smart watchers see geopolitics. <>As what many believe, the Kremlin is not Donald Trump's lapdog or BFF. And Russia is not dumb or easily cowed, for that matter. Moscow has a different playbook than its BRICS buddy China. 

       Constant: NO Potus can dictate both giants. We are not in the 17th century. Not now that BRICS or China, Russia, India et al have wobbled the G7. 

       <>When a war has already escalated, it is harder to fix it or stop it than when it just started or before it started. Think of the Vietnam War and Afghanistan War. Of course the current wars escalated in Joe Biden's years. And the Afghanistan War got more complicated in the Barack Obama years. 

       <>Mr Trump is trying to negotiate an end to war via economic or trade deals after Russia and EU powers have already invested (via this war) in Ukraine's massive natural resources. All these powers need to agree who gets what and to what extent. Think of Kyiv's Naftogaz or resumption of Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines (to Europe) via the Baltic Sea etc. 

       <>Ukraine's wars have always been a power play between the U.S. and Russia. Think 2014 (Euromaidan) revolution although the alibi then was a proposed deal with the EU that ignited a national tempest. Presidency is always a bottleneck. Petro Poroshenko and Volodymyr Zelensky are US' boys; Victor Yanukovych was a Russia's dude. Yet Ukraine is more Russian than American (but must I rant about other U.S. proxy wars?) 

       And of course Mr Trump has a different albeit unorthodox, relatively dovish Washington policy than his predecessors. 

       <>Continuance of war means no election. Volo Zelensky stays in power. His offshore shit in the British Virgin Islands, Belize and Cyprus gets fatter; Zelenska's real estate in London stays. Yup, Mr Zelensky's Ukraine is a European dachshund. NATO justifies more money (because they have a war). Military brinkmanship or wars remain as the West's only way to control Eastern Europe's wealth, regardless of Mr Trump. Yup, regardless of China or BRICS. An idiotic timewarp mindset. ☮️☮️☮️