Trump's Speech Goes Above and Beyond What Poles Have Only Dreamed Of

Interestingly, on the way to Hamburg for the G20 summit, President Trump stopped in Poland. It was a calculated move, they say, for him, the front gate to Europe is there. Both to encourage the Poles and to reassure the Germans.

The American president encouraged the Poles with an inflammatory speech, in which he flattered Poland as only he could. Literally, "America loves Poland." America loves the Polish people. American soldiers stationed in Poland will defend Poland's place in Europe. America will sell Poland its gas so that Poland isn’t a hostage to a single supplier — Russia. Poland is the geographical center of Europe, the Polish people are the soul of Europe, the Polish people differ from everyone in their greatness and character. Poland can’t be removed from the heart. For America, since its founding, Poland has been a symbol of hope. American and Polish soldiers are now fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against the enemies of civilization itself. Poland is an example to others. A strong Poland is a blessing to the nations of Europe. Poland is among the most dedicated members of NATO.

We applaud Poland for the fact that it bought the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system from America. And again, Poland sets a wonderful example. And in general, if someone has forgotten what Western values are all about, let them come to Poland and learn them. And that was all Trump. It isn’t surprising that his speech in Warsaw was interrupted 50 times by applause. This isn’t counting the seven cases when the crowd broke into chanting. "Donald Trump, Donald Trump!" The Poles heard things they couldn’t even dream of. And, while we're at it, greetings to Germany and the whole of old Europe with it. And greetings to Russia. Here, however, it was somehow not very elegant. If not to say, rude. To be honest, I don’t think that Trump himself came up with it. Just like with his previous activities, he simply failed to do any historical research. A pole, who obviously prepared this speech for him, put everything sweet for themselves there.

It seems so because the words of the US president touched the deepest strings of the Polish soul, especially the topic of the Warsaw Uprising. Let's go back to the second half of 1944. Our army is completing Operation Bagration, one of the largest military operations in the history of mankind. The German fascists have been pushed out of the USSR, and our troops are approaching the Vistula. In front of them is one of the deepest rivers in Europe. Behind them are numerous battles, casualties, wounded, and stretched supply lines. And ahead, lie new military objectives. It’s impossible to cross the Vistula. The enemy is still very strong. The offensive operation requires careful preparation, reconnaissance, maintenance, new equipment, and constant regrouping. The Polish government, being in exile in London, gives an order to begin an uprising in the capital. It was unexpected and not very well prepared. It was done with the expectation that the Germans will begin to retreat since the Red Army is already at the Vistula. And counting on the fact that, later, they can tell Stalin that they managed without the Red Army, that they liberated themselves.

The uprising began, but the Germans, in the cruelest way possible, suppressed it. The Fascists didn’t even think about retreating. They understood perfectly well that the Soviet army wasn’t ready to cross the Vistula. According to estimates, 150 thousand Poles died in Warsaw back then. However, there was an attempt to cross the river and help from our side. In September, General Zygmunt Berling attempted this, and under his command, the Polish First Army operated as part of the 1st Belorussian Front. But the hastily executed operation wasn’t successful. Soldiers who reached the west bank of the Vistula couldn’t consolidate there. They lost three thousand people. However, the Warsaw Uprising still received support from the Soviet army. From the last week of September and until the tragic outcome in October, our air force carried out about 5 thousand sorties to Warsaw.

We bombed the Germans in coordination with the Poles and gave the rebels the supplies they requested. But, here's what Trump said about it in Warsaw: On the other side of the river, the troops of Soviet Russia stopped and waited. They watched as the Nazis mercilessly destroyed the city, brutally killing men, women and children. I understand that Trump has never been interested in the history of this event. I understand that he was just reading someone's speech. I understand that this version is popular in Poland. And I even understand why it’s so bitterly pleasant there. It demonizes Russia and riles up Polish nationalistic feelings. But now, whether Trump wanted this or not, this version of the "cold-blooded delay by the Russians" until after the Germans dealt with the Poles in Warsaw, this version, after the American President himself voiced it, becomes, if not downright canonical, then certainly more plausible.

At the same time, Trump didn’t say that during World War II Russia was a key ally of the United States, that during the liberation of Poland from fascism we lost 600,000 people. This is more than America lost in the entire war. In battles on different continents, the United States lost 400 thousand. That is, we have given more for the liberation of Poland alone than America did during the entire war. It would be nice for Trump to acknowledge these proportions. On the banks of the Elbe, we met with our American allies. While the Warsaw Uprising was going on, the Americans had just landed in Normandy to open a second front in Europe. That is, when we were already near Warsaw, just then did they finally decide to join the battle on this continent. Having taken a lesson from Trump, someone might want to say that before Normandy, the US cynically watched millions die here. However, what difference does it make who's saying what? The main thing is that in Poland you can now make a central European hub for American natural gas. American soldiers are now in Poland, while Poland buys more and more American weapons. Poland, according to Trump’s logic, is an example to everyone.