The European Union has moved to sanction Poland, Reuters reports. Poland has long been targeted by Brussels for its national conservative policies which the complete antithesis to the EU’s secular technocratic regime. Now, the EU is claiming that laws meant to counter Russian influence are anti-democratic and could serve to suppress the opposition.
Poland has been taking active measures to ensure its defense against Russian aggression. First, it has largely increased its defense spending in the hopes of having one of the largest armies in Europe. Second, it has relentlessly supported Ukraine in its fight against Russia and is countering Russian propaganda at every turn.
Historically, large parts of Ukraine were part of the Polish state for centuries where many Orthodox Ukrainians suffered from discrimination. Following Ukrainian independence in 1991, leading Poles abandoned historical land claims and sought to draw the countries towards greater cooperation.
Unlike Poland, with which it shares many domestic policies of national conservatism, Hungary has taken a more neutral approach to the conflict in Ukraine, in part to continue to secure cheap Russian energy. Poland itself will have to manage its relations with the powerful EU and see if it can keep making common cause with Hungary to defend its national values.
The United States will have to decide wether it wants to support punishing one of the few NATO members who is a net contributor to the alliance, as opposed to Germany which continues to allow Russian propaganda to operate, does not invest in national defense, and continues to buy Russian oil and gas to fund its economy.
