Poland Foreign Minister: Russia Is More Dangerous Than ISIS | World Defense

Poland Foreign Minister: Russia Is More Dangerous Than ISIS

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Russia is more dangerous than the Islamic State group, Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told reporters Friday during a visit to Slovakia.

"By all evidence, Russia's activity is a sort of existential threat because this activity can destroy countries," said Waszczykowski, who was speaking in a debate on the future of NATO at the annual Globsec security forum in Bratislava.

"We also have non-existential threats like terrorism, like the great waves of migrants," he added, according to Poland's PAP news agency.

He described the Islamic State group as a very serious threat but added that "it is not an existential threat for Europe".

Waszczykowski also called for NATO to approve the deployment of troops on the alliance's eastern border at its upcoming July summit due to be held in Warsaw.

"This will be a symbol of the determination to defend the eastern flank. We can discuss the scale of this deployment," he said.

Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky said at the conference that strengthening the alliance's collective defense capability would be the main point on the agenda at the summer summit, while warning that Russia "should not be isolated".

He added that Russia was actively "testing the defensive capabilities of NATO in the Baltic region" where a number of countries have come under pressure, the Czech CTK news agency reported.

Russia will use rare talks with NATO next week to protest the alliance's "absolutely unjustified" military buildup in the Baltic states, Moscow's ambassador to Brussels said Friday, adding the alliance was using the Ukraine crisis as a pretext.

The Russian and NATO ambassadors will meet in Brussels on April 20 for their first formal talks in nearly two years to discuss security issues, including the crisis in Ukraine where Moscow is accused of backing pro-Russian rebels against the pro-Western government in Kiev.



Poland Foreign Minister: Russia Is More Dangerous Than ISIS
 

Zepplin

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Perfect example of mobilization for defensive measures (EU + NATO forces) coming across as aggressive.
Member nations may show their support but as the Crimean situation showed the world: the west will do everything they can to avoid direct conflict. Not even downing a civilian air craft is enough but it is understandable, a fight with Russia wouldn't affect some far off country as they have the means to strike any other country back in its back garden.
 

Corzhens

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This thread reminds me of our college professor in political science subject. He said that the rivalry of US and USSR was a healthy situation for the world. Can you imagine if there is no US or perhaps there is no USSR and only the US is the superpower? Small countries can be abused and no one would stand up for them because nothing can compete with the mighty force of a superpower. Now that rivalry is still alive although on a smaller scale since USSR is gone. And with that premise of a healthy world, there is now a 3-pronged rivalry - China, US and Russia.
 

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This thread reminds me of our college professor in political science subject. He said that the rivalry of US and USSR was a healthy situation for the world. Can you imagine if there is no US or perhaps there is no USSR and only the US is the superpower? Small countries can be abused and no one would stand up for them because nothing can compete with the mighty force of a superpower. Now that rivalry is still alive although on a smaller scale since USSR is gone. And with that premise of a healthy world, there is now a 3-pronged rivalry - China, US and Russia.

It's much like not having a company that has too much of a market share over a product: competition is good for the consumer.
Unfortunately, even though the US may not just be able to bully other countries because of the other superpowers, Russia will look after Russian interests and China will look after Chinese, don't expect them to look out for another countries interest unless they have something to gain.

China's markets are more dependent on Western markets more than ever now since they heavily jumped into it but their governmental ideologies seem more suited towards Russia's ways.
If the US was to fall out big time with Russia, who do you think China would back?
 

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It's much like not having a company that has too much of a market share over a product: competition is good for the consumer.
Unfortunately, even though the US may not just be able to bully other countries because of the other superpowers, Russia will look after Russian interests and China will look after Chinese, don't expect them to look out for another countries interest unless they have something to gain.

China's markets are more dependent on Western markets more than ever now since they heavily jumped into it but their governmental ideologies seem more suited towards Russia's ways.
If the US was to fall out big time with Russia, who do you think China would back?

I also realize that - Russia will look after Russian interests and China will look after Chinese. And maybe US has the same strategy because it seems to be helping the Philippines in a way but activists here say that US has a vested interest in our country if only for the strategic location. But with the clash of superpowers, I don't think there will be one in the near future, that is a war between any or all of the 3 we had mentioned.
 

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I also realize that - Russia will look after Russian interests and China will look after Chinese. And maybe US has the same strategy because it seems to be helping the Philippines in a way but activists here say that US has a vested interest in our country if only for the strategic location. But with the clash of superpowers, I don't think there will be one in the near future, that is a war between any or all of the 3 we had mentioned.

Are there generally positive or negative feelings/attitudes towards the interest the US has in your country?
I have to admit, I used to think that they would look after us (UK) with their bases and property here, but ever since the whole Snowden/NSA/Snooping leaks, I'm not so sure they're here for our protection for theirs :)
 

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I don't know that this statement by the Polish minister is credible. Nato has been making some buzz around the area of the Baltic States and Russia is asserting that the area is its backyard and it's not going to make Nato establish any significant presence there. If Russia tries to do the likewise in a Nato area, Nato would be expected make a similar response. It's acceptable that each side will move to keep the other out of areas which are critical to their line of defense.
There is this argument about Russia and the Ukraine. However, there is pro-Western Influence as well as Russian Influence that is driving this conflict so why blame Russia alone?
 

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Listen to this guy?! I really cannot believe this sell-out, a pawn of NATO,EU and the U.S.. All together they are just so mucking great. I really try to use my rational side on this one and realize how is possible that anything on this planet is a bigger threat than America. You'll see that my posts are always against the U.S.. This is because I see the big picture as millions do but also many people do not see it. I am not pro Russian, don't get me wrong but this guy is just ... I don't know. It is better to keep quiet.
 

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Poland is a country that suffered immensely under Soviet Russia. Unfortunately, they still hold those mental scars which affects their relationship with post-USSR Russia even to this day. The irony is that Poland would be far safer under Putin than it would the US. America offers support one minute, then revokes it the next. Poland means nothing to America - they may only understand this lesson in the harshest way, if they don't realize it soon.....
 

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Are there generally positive or negative feelings/attitudes towards the interest the US has in your country?
I have to admit, I used to think that they would look after us (UK) with their bases and property here, but ever since the whole Snowden/NSA/Snooping leaks, I'm not so sure they're here for our protection for theirs :)

The Philippines was once a colony of the US so our orientation is more of American despite the presence of activists here against America. We look up to the US as our big brother who would provide help when needed. Right now they are acting like that in the Spratlys issue because of the ongoing "Balikatan Exercises" which is a military training for both US and Philippine military. Since the Philippines cannot stand up to China's bullying, it is a nice feeling (although it may not be true at all) that our big brother is counter-bullying China.
 

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The Philippines was once a colony of the US so our orientation is more of American despite the presence of activists here against America. We look up to the US as our big brother who would provide help when needed. Right now they are acting like that in the Spratlys issue because of the ongoing "Balikatan Exercises" which is a military training for both US and Philippine military. Since the Philippines cannot stand up to China's bullying, it is a nice feeling (although it may not be true at all) that our big brother is counter-bullying China.

The idea the US could have ever had a literal colony is very shameful. Of course, leftist activists have always claimed our allies are neo-colonies. However, the motive of America has always been protecting nations from Communism, but that's often been interpreted as being muscle behind unpopular business interests.
 

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The Philippines was once a colony of the US so our orientation is more of American despite the presence of activists here against America. We look up to the US as our big brother who would provide help when needed. Right now they are acting like that in the Spratlys issue because of the ongoing "Balikatan Exercises" which is a military training for both US and Philippine military. Since the Philippines cannot stand up to China's bullying, it is a nice feeling (although it may not be true at all) that our big brother is counter-bullying China.

China does seem to be trying to throw it's weight around in that region so it is helpful that they're not the only big guys who are in that area.
Currently it probably is a good idea for a country in that region to be friendly with the US, at least if it's just for show to make China think twice before completely ignoring the UN and it's decisions.
 

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China does seem to be trying to throw it's weight around in that region so it is helpful that they're not the only big guys who are in that area.
Currently it probably is a good idea for a country in that region to be friendly with the US, at least if it's just for show to make China think twice before completely ignoring the UN and it's decisions.

That's also what I think - being friendly to a superpower like US can be a sort of deterrent for the bullying of another superpower. At least US is showing concern over the issue of the Spratlys in the South China Sea (the Philippines had renamed it West Philippine Sea). If there is no US to protect the Philippines maybe China would have a free hand in occupying the disputed islands and would ignore any protest by small nations like Vietnam and Philippines.
 

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I don't buy the Foreign Minister's statement on Russia. Yeah, Russia can be a safe or dangerous place depending on where you go and when just like any other place in the world, but there should not be a comparison to a huge and often beneficial country like Russia to the likes of ISIS or anything like that. To put it bluntly, the Polish FM is just expressing his disdain and contempt for Russia if nothing else, which only gains support from the Polish people and nothing else. Russia today is not the USSR from before, and it's time for Poland to bury the hatchet even though I know they have valid reasons in their resentment from the past. All nations and people do, but there needs to come an end to that so that there may be a new beginning for future generations hereafter, otherwise people live and die invain for the transgressions of the past that had nothing to do with them at all.

As for the Philippines, they were economically in a better situation before the US decided to leave there and relocate and redistribute the people to bases globally and the US. I understand that it is a good feeling and a good thing for the Philippines still to know that they can call upon America if China were to try and bully them, but it would be nice if China would stop being a bully to the Philippines in that way so that America and others would never have to deal with that. Dealing with those situations can often hurt relations with other countries and policies. Even still, they will do it for them and for the sake of the people who they are there for, but it would be nice if there were other options to where China could be nicer to people overall in both the Philippines and in Japan.
 
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