Media Watch- December 19
Mark Brzezinski confirmed by US Senate as ambassador to Poland
US Senate approves Mark Brzezinski as ambassador to Poland
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/2871203
What Russia Wants from a Ukraine Crisis: A Sphere of Influence in Eastern Europe
Russia broadens security demands from West, seeking to curb U.S. and NATO influence on borders
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/17/ukraine-russia-military/
From Tom Kolodziej, PAC Nationa; VP for American Affairs:
I am sharing with you the text of two draft treaties the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs made public as the basis of discussion with the Biden administration and the NATO alliance.
https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/rso/nato/1790803/?lang=en&clear_cache=Y
https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/rso/nato/1790818/?lang=en
This is a demand that the Russian sphere of influence that existed during Communism is re-established.
Please see article 4 of the proposed Russia-NATO treaty:
Article 4
The Russian Federation and all the Parties that were member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as of 27 May 1997, respectively, shall not deploy military forces and weaponry on the territory of any of the other States in Europe in addition to the forces stationed on that territory as of 27 May 1997. With the consent of all the Parties such deployments can take place in exceptional cases to eliminate a threat to security of one or more Parties.
Poland and other Central and Eastern European states entered NATO after May 27, 1997. If agreed on this would mean the United States would not be allowed to deploy troops in Poland, the Baltics or any other country that is in NATO now and was earlier a part of the Warsaw Pact.
What is scary is that I recently participated in two briefings with the administration folks and experts on this issue and they openly spoke about their intention to talk with the Russians. Supposedly with our involvement, but talk nonetheless. What we have here is Yalta-bis before us.
Tomek Kolodziej
Russia broadens security demands from West, seeking to curb U.S. and NATO influence on borders
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/17/ukraine-russia-military/
Russia Lays Out Demands for a Sweeping New Security Deal With NATO
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/world/europe/russia-nato-security-deal.html
NATO mulls deploying troops to Bulgaria, Romania
https://www.dw.com/en/nato-mulls-deploying-troops-to-bulgaria-romania-der-spiegel/a-60182693
German defense minister: Russia will not 'dictate' to NATO
https://www.dw.com/en/german-defense-minister-russia-will-not-dictate-to-nato/a-60186783
Russia has no say over NATO-Ukraine relations: Polish security official
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/2870206
Ukraine’s foreign minister wants West to clarify its sanction threats to Moscow
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/18/ukraine-russia-sanctions-military/
Nord Stream 2: German minister warns Russia over Ukraine
Economic Affairs Minister Robert Habeck said Germany could halt the controversial pipeline if Russia invades Ukraine. He also called the project a "geopolitical mistake."
https://www.dw.com/en/nord-stream-2-german-minister-warns-russia-over-ukraine/a-60181833
Belarus KGB created fake accounts to criticize Poland during border crisis
E.U. Proposes Changes That Would Chip Away at Borderless Model
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/14/world/europe/european-union-schengen-migrants-borders.html
Warsaw-Brussels conflict escalates
https://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/52964/news
Poland commemorates victims of communist-era massacre 51 years on
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/2870324
Tribute to victims of 1981 communist crackdown on Polish miners
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/2869942
Poland marks 40 years since communists declared martial law
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/2867738
Poland: Parliament approves controversial media reform bill
https://www.dw.com/en/poland-parliament-approves-controversial-media-reform-bill/a-60173158
Poland’s Corpus Christi flower-carpet tradition honoured by UNESCO
The Polish tradition of arranging flower carpets for Corpus Christi processions has been put on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7991/Artykul/2869935