It may now be reasonable to surmise that Obama is no longer popular in Poland. In fact, ‘Poland is now one of the very few places in Europe that prefers former President Bush to Obama.’ Poland feels betrayed for Obama’s decision to abandon the plans for installation of a ballistic missile defense (BMD) system in Poland and the Czech Republic. The plan consisted of placing missile interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the Czech
Republic.
Obama announced the cancellation on September 17 which, it seems, is doubly sensitive for Poland. September 17 was the day of the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.
This ‘reaction was governed by enduring Soviet trauma: Poles — like Lithuanians, Estonians and Latvians — want the United States as visible on their soil as possible to deter Russian prowling.’
While the Polish may be overwhelmed by angst, worry, and sadness, Obama surely did not mean the move as an insult. After all, the US is now obsessed with Iran, and the strategy works better for the current security needs of the US.
‘The new U.S. plan to deploy proven SM-3 interceptor missiles, first at sea and later on land, makes better sense overall. It’s nimbler and saner on the Iranian threat.’
The Polish lamentation, however, may be more logical than emotional. This is not all about a Cold War hangover. ‘The Russian incursion into Georgia last year caused central European shivers. Moscow succeeded in relegating the Georgian and Ukrainian bids for NATO membership to a place somewhere backward of the back burner.’
