Abstract: | Under the administration of Barack Obama, the Russo‑American
relations took the form
of a pragmatic partnership. The politycy of “reset” in the relations between Washington and
Moscow, initiated in 2009, has delivered tangible benefits, such as the START III treaty, Russia’s
modifying its stance on the Iranian nuclear programme in line with that of the U.S.,
the co‑operation
in Afghanistan or U.S. military transit through Russian territory. Despite the
recent improvement, the relations between Russia and the U.S. are not free from problematic
issues and many disagreements remain unresolved. Nevertheless, althougt Russian and
American interests often diverge, the need for concerted efforts between the two powers is
apparent in order to tackle key international problems. The aim of this article is to demonstrate
the new priorities of the Obama administration in the Russo‑Americal
relations and, in this
context, to discuss the importance and implications of these priorities for Poland’s national
security. Having long strived for recognition as the U.S. key ally in Central Europe, Poland’s
importance for the U.S. foreign policy has diminished under the Obama administration. For
Washington’s point of view, the relations between Poland and the U.S. are not critical for the
Americal interests in Europe. Poland remains an important partner of the U.S., but only one of
many. It is the diplomatic relations with Moscow that the current Democratis administration
considers as crucial, with Poland fitting into the broad diplomatic framework created around
such relations. |