The Ukrainian Crisis and Its Negative Effects on Poland - Essay Example

A Simulation Report on Poland Introduction The Ukrainian crisis is one of the political crises that have hit Eastern Europe in the recent past. The crisis began after Ukraine indulged in a revolution that led to Ukraine capital Kiev overthrow the government. Due to the resulting instability, Russia went forth to annex part of Ukraine, specifically Crimea. There has been an ongoing struggle between Ukraine and Russia in an effort to prevent the possibility of further invasion. The United States has opted to sanction Russia in an effort to resolve the ongoing crisis. The crisis has challenged the Euro-Atlantic security, explaining why other countries in East Europe have sought to play a critical; role in the negotiation process in a bid to end the crisis. The West has been specifically tough on Russia by introducing the sanctions. Poland is one of the countries that have been caught in the middle of the Ukrainian crisis. Notably, Poland has registered the highest impact resulting from the ongoing global and regional security environment, posed by the Ukrainian crisis. Ukraine faces high levels of instability resulting from its relationship with Russia as well as the effect of different perspectives held by international leaders towards the annexation of Crimea. Poland has a proximity to Ukraine, a factor that makes it a primary target for any adverse effects resulting from the Ukraine crisis. In its effort to play a critical role in restoring peace, Poland has opted to support the stringent sanctions introduced by the United States against Russia. This paper will focus on analyzing the position of Poland towards the resolution on the application of sanctions against Russia. Body A close analysis of the situation in Ukraine reveals that there is a high level of destabilization and unpredictability. Through the intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has reduced immensely. However, it is obvious that new factors will reignite the conflict in the future. Apparently, both Russia and Ukraine are yet to achieve some of their strategic goals defined by the conflict. Unfortunately, for Ukraine, it has to bear with adverse effects of the conflict, such as an increasingly fragile economy, a factor that may trigger more problems in Ukraine. The fact that Poland is located in a close geographic proximity to Ukraine, translates to a direct effect of the crisis in Poland. Therefore, Poland has sought to play a critical role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis (Smith 65). Poland’s position in the Ukrainian crisis and its evidentiary support for the economic sanctions imposed on Russia has only served to weaken the existing relationship between Russia and Poland. The two countries have had a strained relationship in the past characterized by the disruption of economic exchange by the introduced sanctions, different perspectives in political dialogue, varying perceptions of historical issues, and military relations with the armies of Russia and Poland regarding each other as enemies. On the other hand, Poland has enjoyed some positive effects of the Ukraine crisis. For example, the instability in Ukraine has motivated many Ukrainian young people to move into Polish education institutions (Buras). In addition, Polish exporters have had an advantage because the instability has affected the Polish currency. Without a doubt, Poland finds itself in an ensuing conflict with Russia because of its stand in the Ukrainian crisis. Analysts have highlighted that Poland faces numerous adverse effects of the Ukrainian crisis. Notably, the United States and its allies in support of Ukraine have imposed stringent economic sanctions on Russia. The economic sanctions limit trade possibilities between Russia and other countries allied to the United States. Poland suffers numerous negative consequences from these sanctions. In the past, Poland has been overly dependent on Russia for its exports. It has had strong links with Russia exporting over 56% of its fruits and vegetable to Russia. 5.5% of Poland’s exports end up in Russia (Chafuen). The 5.5% is significant compared to 3% of exports from the Czech Republic and Hungary. In the initial five months of 2014 when the conflict was ripe, Poland registered a 8.3 % decrease in its exports to Russia. The fact that Poland exports over 50% of its food products to Russia translates to a huge loss resulting from the economic sanctions imposed on Russia. For example, Poland will need a compensation for over $1.6 billion for the decrease of its export of fruits and vegetable to Russia. Despite the evident negative effects of the economic sanctions on Poland, Warsaw has constantly expressed its support for the American view of imposing economic sanctions on Russia (Devitt and Szary). Although Poland has sought to position itself in the frontline of the negotiation process in a bid to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, Ukraine prefers Germany’s negotiation. For this reason, Ukraine failed to recognize Poland’s willingness to play a critical role in the negotiation process. From the views of Moscow and Kiev, Poland does not qualify as one of the key players in the diplomatic proceedings that target to resolve the Ukrainian crisis (Laca and Radoslav). However, countries such as France and Germany were included in the diplomatic proceedings a factor that highlights their significance as key players in the region. Evidently, Poland holds different views from those of the countries in the region. For example, Poland has been supportive of different approaches from those supported by Germany. In addition, Poland has exhibited different views from those of the Visegrad Group. Apparently, only Poland believes that Russia deserves the stringent measures imposed by the European Union. On the other hand, Germany does not believe in the stringent measures introduced against Russia (Klus). With Berlin taking such a stand in the crisis, it became evident that Poland and Germany view the issue from different perspectives. Evidently, Germany was preferred as a better player in the diplomatic proceedings, a factor that challenges Poland’s role in Eastern Europe. Without a doubt, Poland needs to strategize on the most effective foreign policy that it can adopt towards Belarus and Ukraine. At the moment, Poland lies in a tricky position because it has been locked in a permanent situation that does not allow for easy decision-making. Therefore, the current situation challenges the Polish foreign policy. If Poland does not reconsider its foreign policy, there is a risk of isolating itself from the European Union. Such a move would be against the Polish belief that a united European Union should prevail. There is a salient need for Poland to adopt adaptive-reactive approaches. The critical point is that Poland should support the Ukrainian stability, as it should introduce favorable conditions for remarkable political changes that will have more outcomes that are positive (Urban). Currently, the Ukrainian conflict prevents Poland from implementing any positive initiatives towards the promotion of peace and stability. However, a more stable Ukraine will place Poland in a better position. In my view, Poland will benefit from adopting a better foreign policy that will see it eventually overcome Russia. The country has proved to be strong enough in the past by overcoming different invasions. Now, the future may seem bleak, but Poland still has a chance if it reevaluates its capacities as a European foreign policy leader. There is a salient need for Poland to adopt ideologies that will place it as the leader, allowing it to have more influence on the Ukrainian crisis through the diplomatic proceedings. Conclusion Without a doubt, the Ukrainian crisis has resulted in negative effects on Poland. Since the crisis has triggered increasing sanctions against Russia, Poland has suffered because it has strong trade links with Russia. The events defining the Ukrainian crisis have challenged Poland’s position in its role as a foreign policy player in the region. Poland has maintained its view that economic sanctions against Russia are justified. However, other states such as Germany have preferred a moderate approach in resolving the issue. Therefore, Poland needs to adjust its foreign policy if it is to remain influential in the region. Works Cited Buras, Piotr. ‘Can Poland remain a leader of EU foreign policy?’ European Council on Foreign Relations, 15th Feb 2015. Web. 20th March 2015. Chafuen, Alehandro. Russia In Ukraine: Putting Poland Back At The Front. Forbes Magazine, 3rd December 2014. Web. 20th March 2015. Devitt, Polina, and Wiktor Szary. Warsaw Says Russian Ban On Polish Produce Is Revenge For EU Sanctions. Reuters 2014. Web. 20th March 2015. Klus, Adam. ‘Poland on the Frontlines of the Ukraine Crisis’. New Eastern Europe, 4th November 2015. Web. 20th May 2015. Laca, Peter, and Tomek, Radoslav. Poland Feels Pain of Russia Sanctions: Chart of the Day. Web. 20th May 2015. Smith, Nicholas Ross. "The EUs Difficulty In Translating Interests Into Effective Foreign Policy Action: A Look At The Ukraine Crisis." Baltic Journal of European Studies 4.1 (2014): 54-68. Central & Eastern European Academic Source. Web. 20 May 2015. Urban, Mark. ‘How many Russians are fighting in Ukraine?’ BBC News, 10th March 2015. 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