A war-torn country filled with defenseless citizens scrambling to escape the terror of armed Russian soldiers. A nation filled with high numbers of child deaths, increasing each day. A city filled with the rubble from demolished synagogues and hospitals that surround the capital. A president, desperately calling for help, trying to stand against a tyrant commanding the world’s second most powerful army on his own. 

It’s difficult to stand by, watching conflict grow right at your doorstep. If you’re Poland watching your neighbor Ukraine in crisis, it could be tempting to stop watching and pull your own curtain back.

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia declared war on Ukraine. This declaration would soon tear countries apart, both figuratively and literally — not only Ukraine itself, but also its neighbors. Watching from the sidelines, Poland could only stand back and spectate this horrific scene.

A piece of the theory behind Russia’s reasoning for invasion is because Ukraine wanted to join NATO. The Russian government, which asserts that Ukraine belongs to Russia, dislikes this attempt to ally with their potential enemies, and perceives the Ukraine invasion as a liberation to take back what is rightfully theirs. “Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear that he considers Ukraine’s place to be in Russia’s fold — a position it held from the days of the Russian Empire under Catherine the Great in the 18th century through the nations’ shared history in the Soviet Union,” Bloomberg reported in their article “Understanding the Roots of Russia’s War in Ukraine.”

Although some NATO nations, such as the United States, Poland, France, and more, have been taking their own actions by providing resources and financial support to Ukraine, NATO as a whole has been a neutral bystander during the conflict. 

Poland, a country once under the Soviet Union’s influence, sympathizes with Ukraine’s situation. Polish citizens have been seeking aid and resilience for Ukraine from Russia’s attacks. This war especially hits home for them with the recent warfare reaching the Polish border, urging them to push for foreign efforts. “I’m devastated and furious at the same time,” Polish citizen and Polish-English teacher Marta Kowalewska said. “It seems unreal to me that in 2022, someone can just invade an independent country for no reason and kill hundreds of civilians.”

A Helping Hand

83 years ago, during World War II, Poland turned into a warzone when the Soviet Union and German Empire invaded. After the war, Poland was under the strong grip of the Soviet Union for 50 years. Though Polish citizens faced discrimination from both Russians and Russian-Ukranians, Polish individuals sympathize with having a war-torn country. “Our relations with Russia have always been tense,” Kowalewska said. “In the distant past, Russia used to be one of the countries that partitioned Poland and tried to Russify it.” 

My mother, Polish native Izabela Butler, shares the efforts of an organization from her hometown providing resources to Ukrainian refugees on Facebook. The organization, Leszno dla Ukrainy (Leszno for Ukraine), has been organized and funded by Polish citizens. “I think they’ve helped 2,500 people,” Butler said. “They help with finding housing, furnishing, clothes, food, basically everything and anything [the Ukrainian refugees] need.”

The organization also provides a kid center for children to read books, learn, or play on the indoor playground. Furthermore, they provide legal support to deal with all the refugee paperwork and necessities. “They also help to find jobs and housing in Western Europe,” Butler said.

Individuals have also hosted concerts to sing songs of community to spread awareness and unity. 

Additionally, Polish President Andrzej Duda signed new legislation to allow Ukrainian refugees arriving in Poland to legalize their stay for 18 months. It provides Ukrainian refugees easier access to work, healthcare, education, and more through receiving a national identity number. Free transportation by train is available for Ukrainian refugees to flee their country and travel. Furthermore, the government plans to provide a payment of 300 zloty (70 USD) per individual for Ukrainian refugees and 40 zloty (9 USD) per day to Polish individuals who provide accommodations for Ukrainian refugees.

However, even with the efforts of the Polish government, Polish citizens are stunted by the government’s renege. Therefore, Polish citizens are still pushing to support Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees regardless of the outcome of the war. “The [Polish] government uses a lot of pathetic words and makes empty promises, using the war as a chance to proclaim some harmful acts and hoping people won’t notice,” Kowalewska said.

Call for Help

Foreign European nations should notice the efforts of Poland and their citizens regarding the recent events. Most NATO nations wish to avoid interfering with the war, claiming that it’s “not their problem” and they want to prevent losing their citizens or having financial burdens. However, this mindset demonstrates the selfishness and hypocrisy of NATO’s goal: sustaining peace.                                                                                   

Ukraine is now standing alone without having extra hands on the battlefield. Ukraine has already lost several hundred civilian lives. According to Statista, as of March 20, 925 people have died, including 75 children. Now is the time to act and stand behind Ukraine with armed forces and support. “They should be deeply involved and ready to help because it is not only about Poland — the eastern border of NATO is a gate to the civilized world, the world of peace, freedom and welfare,” Kowalewska said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already been rejected multiple times requesting for a no-fly zone. If placed, the no-fly zone would protect Ukraine skies from any Russian air forces with foreign support. Zelenskyy even asked the United States, which Poland added to request Germany U.S. jets to help support the decision.

In the end, the U.S. declined the decision, which Zelenskyy didn’t respond to happily. “This is not pingpong,” Zelenskyy said during a speech in response to the decision. “This is about people’s lives. We ask again — make the decision faster. Don’t throw the responsibility. Send us the jets.” 

Although most countries are hesitant, Poland seems to be seeking allies to enter the war with. Especially since the war is hitting close to home, Poland desperately wants to push back this global superpower before they’re next. “I’m not an expert on wars and their strategies, but knowing Putin and his sick ambitions, I’m afraid he’s going to make an attempt to invade Poland,” Kowalewska said. “Hopefully, NATO won’t let that happen.”

If other European nations provide their military resources and armies, there may be a chance to fight back against Russia, putting them back into their place. “The war is the worst ‘invention’ of the human race,” Butler said. 

Poland is ready to go, but not alone.

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Even though this international conflict is overseas, there are several organizations in the United States that also support this cause. If interested in providing donations or spreading awareness, visit Nova Ukraine or the Red Cross.