One of the main reasons why the West opposes Russian president Vladimir Putin's illegitimate attack on Ukraine is that it is a violation of the international order and norms of conduct, and has set the stage for many other conflicts where an imposing neighbor decides to manage the activities of its less powerful neighbor. For a long time, Putin has styled himself as the protector of Russian minorities overseas and, if he is successful in Ukraine, it is likely that he will look the other way at his fellow Baltic States. But, once the rules of international behavior change to accommodate Putin's rages and demands and demands, the door is opened for others.
On Friday, the former chief of Land Forces of the Polish Army General Waldemar Skrzypczak appeared on a TV channel that is part of Super Express, a tabloid. Super Express made an intriguing suggestion.
(Translation to Polish is provided by Google Translate)
The former commander of Poland's force on the ground, Waldemar Skrzypczak said that the Kaliningrad area has been “under Russian occupation since 1945”.
He claims that the territory was not Russian, but was historically part of Prussia as well as Poland.
“Now it is worth remembering it. It is worth remembering the Kaliningrad region, which I think is part of Polish territory … We have the right to claim this territory, which is occupied by Russia,” Skrzypczak told the Polish show on TV “Super Express.
If you're not familiar with the city, Kaliningrad (more specifically, Koenigsberg since Kaliningrad is a fictional name that was invented in The USSR) is an area that is controlled by Russia and was created from Germany during the Potsdam conference.
Kaliningrad is now largely ethnic Russian, due to the fact that in the most Communist manner, that is, the USSR removed the Germans who lived there for millennia or so, and then replaced the inhabitants with Russians. The Soviets also did the same with the Baltic States. When Soviet troops invaded the Baltic States under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, more than 10 percent of the population was forced to be sent to Siberia or to the Gulag system.
The only link I have found of Koenigsberg in Russia is that for four years it was in the hands of Russian forces during the Seven Year's Conflict. It was a significant city within East Prussia. The claim of Poland, from what I've seen, is a bit flimsy, but not less so than Putin’s claims to have the power to steer the country's domestic and foreign policy.
We've gotten past the absurdity of having fixed borders, there's no reason why Poland should not be able to demand Kaliningrad be given back because it's territory that has no connection with Russia and was acquired through theft. Poland should insist that the matter of Kaliningrad be accessible to negotiations or international arbitration. There are certain to be Russians living in Kaliningrad who are tired and exhausted of Putin and live in the midst of a Third World sh**hole that is not even recognizable as a port; Poland should find them, and then help them, and celebrate them. There's no reason Poland should even engage in war over it. Simply create a mass movement and then march hundreds of thousands of Poles to the border, while the resurrected Polish Army (thanks, Vlad for inciting the fear that drove Poland to increase the size of its army) is watching. It is said that King Hassan II of Morocco took control of the Spanish Sahara by the same technique in 1975.
In this regard, Ukraine should consider playing the same strategy in Transnistria, where Russians represent only 30 percent of the population. Ukrainians and Belarussians constitute the majority. The model is there. All you need to do is to create fake ethnic insurgencies that you can arm and promote. When the legitimate government begins to crack down, call your troops in, create a militia, and then declare independence, while shouting “genocide.” If Ukraine really wants to grow massively, it should stake claims to the Kuban region in Russia where the majority of people are Ukrainian. Maybe it should create “separatist republics” there.
What cannot occur would be for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine believing that it has a legal right to invade whoever it chooses to and be free of geopolitical consequences.
