Legendary Polish Solidarity leader and co-founder Lech Walesa did not agree to meet the President of the United States, Barack Obama on Saturday afternoon. Walesa said: "It does not suit me" answering a journalist why he was not going to talk to Barack Obama. Lech Walesa in the interview for a national newspaper added that he does not have time. According to the source, who spoke under the condition of being unnamed to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Walesa was invited on short notice, a day before the meeting with the American president. Later the US Ambassador Lee Feinstein telephoned the former Solidarity leader asking him to change his decision. Walesa denied his request.
What was the reason?
President Barack Obama's administration changed their policies towards Central Europe. For instance it doesn't seem to understand the importance of Ukraine's freedom and independence for the stability of Europe.
In 2009
Walesa signed an appeal to the United States President Obama to not take Russia's side in the conflict over the missile defense system. In the open letter with twenty other former leaders of the antisoviet opposition he asked the United States to strengthen Euro-Atlantic relations.
We understand the heavy demands on your Administration and on U.S. foreign policy. It is not our intent to add to the list of problems you face. Rather, we want to help by being strong Atlanticist allies in a U.S.-European partnership that is a powerful force for good around the world. But we are not certain where our region will be in five or ten years time given the domestic and foreign policy uncertainties we face. We need to take the right steps now to ensure the strong relationship between the United States and Central and Eastern Europe over the past twenty years will endure.
As the countries living closest to Russia, obviously nobody has a greater interest in the development of the democracy in Russia and better relations between Moscow and the West than we do. But there is also nervousness in our capitals. We want to ensure that too narrow an understanding of Western interests does not lead to the wrong concessions to Russia. Today the concern is, for example, that the United States and the major European powers might embrace the Medvedev plan for a "Concert of Powers" to replace the continent's existing, value-based security structure. The danger is that Russia's creeping intimidation and influence-peddling in the region could over time lead to a de facto neutralization of the region. There are differing views within the region when it comes to Moscow's new policies. But there is a shared view that the full engagement of the United States is needed.
Many in the region are looking with hope to the Obama Administration to restore the Atlantic relationship as a moral compass for their domestic as well as foreign policies. A strong commitment to common liberal democratic values is essential to our countries
Unfortunately President Barack Obama's administration radically redefined US strategic alliances.
His
withdrawal from the missile defense agreement was announced on the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. Two months later to emphasize their superiority over the Central Europe, maybe even over Western Europe,
Russians targeted Poland with nuclear missiles during their military exercises.
The Central European leaders asked the Obama adminsitration for the engagement. But the State Department and the White House did not react.
Unlike Obama, President Bush understood that there is a need for the ground military installations that would secure peace in that region. It would be a guarantee that Russians would never again invade Central Europe. Their political and business interests (since they are closely connected to their military or civil intelligence) would have to be reduced. Thus their sphere of influence would be clearly marked. With such an installation the political climate in Europe would have changed. Walesa and other signatories of this letter understood it.
A missile defense system remains
a strategic issue for Russia.
"A European missile defense system can become truly effective and sustainable only in the case of equal participation of Russia," the Kremlin press service said in a statement Saturday, citing a letter by Medvedev to members of the NATO-Russia Council."
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I would not think that Walesa ignored Obama because he is not Ronald Reagan. That seems to be quite a shallow reasoning.
But above all, I imagine that Lech Walesa is not meeting with President Obama because he knows the current occupant of the White House is no Ronald Reagan. Reagan was a true friend of the Poles, who fought hard for their liberation in the face of Soviet tyranny. The Gipper believed in strong US leadership, in standing up to America’s enemies, and in the importance of standing shoulder to shoulder with America’s allies. President Obama’s “leading from behind” approach is the antithesis of Reagan’s foreign policy, and one which has frequently undercut US alliances rather than strengthened them.
One can say that George W. Bush was not Reagan too. However, Walesa met him despite criticising him for prolonging the occupation of Iraq. President Obama does not represent values that led Poles to victory. He seems to run policies that appease Poland's enemies. He favors Russia over the Central Europe.
