Oleksandr Turchynov: Battle of Warsaw

In few days 95 years since the day of historical Battle of Warsaw or the "Miracle on the Vistula" will be marked. Then UPR led by Petliura, having concluded an agreement with Poland, were able together to protect Europe from the offensive of Russian-Bolshevist troops.

The Russian army - "liberator", which was already bringing in its baggage a new puppet Polish government, that was to be headed by the main KGB man - Felix Dzerzhinsky, was defeated and retreated shamefully. An important role in common struggle was played by Ukrainian troops led by General Mark Bezruchko. Then, 95 years ago, having neglected the position and interests of Ukraine, in fact, after this victory, Europe have betrayed us, by throwing UPR out of the negotiation process, having concluded "peace" under which our country was torn into pieces. European leaders of that time traditionally thought of their own interests and probably also did not want to tease the wounded Russian bear. But this short-sighted policy then created an opportunity to survive for the Soviet empire that afterwards has grown like a cancer.

Eventually, cemented by bones and lost lives of starved to death, tortured and repressed people, this time Stalin's empire together with Hitler's Reich, whom Europeans also did not want to irritate, partitioned European countries among themselves, unleashing the bloodiest war in human history. Today we are in a very similar situation, and the fate of not only Ukraine but of the whole Europe will be reliant of how resolutely and consistently we and our European allies will act. We must know the history to avoid repeating its terrible mistakes.