Al Capone on Bankowa Square,

Otherwise, it is a gap that I find unpleasant. When Americans view us as a Slavic Uruguay, it is more or less clear, with due account of their American egocentric stupidity, lack of European-style education, and an economically-grounded feeling of being the crown of humanity whose reaction to their own American mistakes can simply be ignored. But here are our own guys, yesterday's convicts who used to sip the same swill behind barbed wire - there you are!

I am interested in Poland and its integration as much as it is in me, i.e., politely but superficially. What interests me much more is its attitude to Ukraine, to the problems of a state in the center of Europe gravitating toward Asian values, to the future of a multivectored country which as a result has ground to a halt, more and more sinking in the mud of its "brilliant" past. And when a certain Polish politician says, "But Kuchma is so pro-Western," I see that they know nothing, do not want to know anything about us, and they are hardly worried over what their neighbors will have as a result of the President's "pro-Western" course which has in fact led to a probable victory of pro-Russian and pro-Union forces. And when the independent and, what is more, elite Polish press treats Ukraine and its leader with skeptical condescension, but hints at the same time about the absence of choice, mentioning in a row "diehard Moroz," "General Marchuk" and Vitrenko, referring to the two latter as the former Ukrainian KGB chief and Le Pen in drag, respectively, it becomes clear why President Kwasniewski was run off his feet at the NATO summit in Washington, supporting Kuchma who extorts financial aid from the West "to preserve democracy and the path of reform." "The father of Ukrainian democracy" is now being patted on the back by not only the Russians but also all and sundry, including "friend Arafat," so one can deport 200 Ukrainians from Poland on the eve of the Lviv summit, as if they were homeless and nameless tramps, thus trampling upon the leader's national dignity. Our Polish neighbor is now a NATO member, while our business is to do or die, murmuring at the last gasp something like "preservation of democracy" and "European choice."

Of course, Poles at all political levels will tell us about love and friendship, agreeing both with Jozef Pilsudski and Zbigniew Brzezinski that there will be no independent Poland without an independent Ukraine. But if you pressure them into forecasting Ukraine's further destiny which may only go two ways under the on-going scenario, either Kuchma's totalitarianism or Red dictatorship, the answer will be interesting: "But we joined the North Atlantic Alliance March 12, so we are calm." "And what Russian actions could cause Poland to look for some adequate response?" "But we on March 12..."

"But, not knowing exactly the situation in Ukraine, you run the risk of..."

"But we..." In other words, "Look, we have NATO!"

Of course, the Poles are worried that if Ukraine does not pull itself up, Poland will have to sharply tighten border controls after being admitted to the EU. They would not like to do so for economic, rather than friendly, considerations, for the cross-border trade turnover is $2 billion. But, in the final analysis, means are sure be found to justify the ends. And sincerely hoping that European borders not be redrawn, the neighbors will wave a hand at us from behind their new wall. And they will do it in a very Polish way. One lady says to another in a streetcar: "Would madam move her cat? I can't get by."

The other replies, "Go on, the cat isn't bothering you."

"But madam can see that I can't get by!"

"If madam is a cow, what can I do?"

"No one will help you if you don't help yourself" is the second refrain sounding at all meetings after the first one: there are no political forces in Poland that oppose NATO and European membership. One must add to this what was not discussed: the Polish people trust their leadership, for the country's economy is on its feet and not lying prostrate. This is why people do not cast doubts, by and large, on the official course. Gazeta wyborcza has published the data of a poll asking: who would the Poles prefer if presidential elections were held right now? President Kwasniewski not only leads among a dozen of probable candidates but exceeds 70%. Everything is clear, one does not have to invent creeping excuses of the type: "President Kuchma made mistakes during his first term, but now he knows what to do. Moreover in his second term he will not be haunted by reelection fears, so he will work to benefit the country and not to struggle for power..."

This is rather strange, unintelligible, and painful: wherever you look in the civilized world, you will not find such a propped-up state leader; everywhere there are personalities you cannot suspect of having no original thoughts and being always capable of laying an egg not sanctioned by his advisors... It is even surprising, having come from Ukraine, to listen to a 20-minute monologue by Poland's deputy minister of foreign affairs on the republic's foreign policy and not to hear even once: "on the instruction of our President," "on the initiative of our President," or "at the request of our President..." Mr. Andrzej Ananicz turned out not to lack humor and he replied with understanding: "If madam insists, I can say that the President shares our actions. But, in general, I am a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and not the President's staff." Good Lord! All one can say in an aboriginal delight is that, no, we are not Europe... Even if NATO writes in huge letters in its new concept that we are an important factor of European security.

Polish Minister of Defense Janusz Onyszkiewicz, unlike many other politicians, said without any diplomatic subtleties, "No one knows what turn the situation in Russia might take, for it does not know it itself. We hope it will be a democratic path, but we are not certain of this. So NATO membership is important for us as an element of overall defense."

Equally important is "Ukraine's awareness of the motives for our actions." The motive is, of course, for Ukraine, but since Ukraine is a "strategic partner," it would be interesting to know what Poland means by this. This interlocutor not without humor added, "One sometimes abuses the definition of strategic partner. We might as well say the Fiji Islands are our strategic partner. But everybody knows: whatever happens to Fiji is of little importance for us. But what will happen to Ukraine does matter to us. This is not a compliment to Ukraine but recognition of its real geopolitical place and importance."

Otherwise, it is explainable for any situation: "Poland wanted to join NATO for the same reasons that the alliance members do not want to get out of it."

Of course, the Polish people understand that its admission to NATO is a political decision by the US. Things are far more complicated with the European Union, for this requires a different, more advanced, level of viability from the state in general and its bodies in particular. There is enough time left until 2003, the planned date of admission, and the Poles tell us: Ukraine should become an associate member as soon as possible, we do not want an iron curtain on the Bug River, we do not want Poland to be a front-line state, nor do we want to fence ourselves off from you... "Whether or not you want it, you have to."

No one is fully aware of the danger that the outward signs of democracy are not the content and essence of Ukrainian life. And no one, in all probability, is interested in it. If the world believes that "Kuchma is a pro-Western democrat and reformer," then this country is in the last throes of agony. It is this, plus the complete impoverishment of people who have today a new problem of lining up for cheap sugar, that enables the current President and, still more, his entourage to twist the arm of all Ukraine in order to gain the victory of a "democrat" over the "Red peril." For example, who could possibly believe over there, in Poland, that Mr. Kuchma's headquarters has today set a task to ward off the registration of the candidatures of Moroz and Marchuk as dangerous for the President on his left and right flanks? To this end, scenario writers even agree to waive the earlier-planned demonstration of "nationwide support" by collecting 5-7 million signatures in favor of Kuchma. Now the candidates are strictly allowed to have signature sheets for 1,200,000 signatures, and both Marchuk and Moroz will have 200,000 odd signatures invalidated.

Can anybody in Poland, the EU, or NATO imagine that elections is business and not a democratic show of preferences? But particularities and details apart (such as the rate for the Constitution's guarantor: one hryvnia per signature, though every army recruit knows that they won't spare the ammunition in wartime), there are more serious business-projects coming down to this: the President, "awash in nationwide feelings," may simply not notice that his favorite saying that "It is the thief who cries out, 'Stop thief!'" can suddenly serve as a nice epigraph to Oleksandr Volkov's warning to Speaker Oleksandr Tkachenko about the consequences of the latter running. After receiving a stern rebuke from the one, the other replied, "Who do you think you are?" This perhaps only confirms our old saying that it is sweet to quarrel but even sweeter to make up. And when Mr. Volkov goes to the board of the Ukrayina Bank, which funds the agrarian lobby, this does not necessarily mean supervision over Mr. Tkachenko. The same thing with the alumina plant issue grinding through Verkhovna Rada: it is the people of Volkov and Tkachenko who turned out to be far from loose cannons with their coinciding interests crossing each other. Small wonder that such forceful personalities should gravitate toward each other... It will be surprising if it seems to somebody that such a skilled plowman as the "neither the first nor second" Mr. Tkachenko always cooks his dough using the same recipe. Informed sources claim that the yeast has been laid in at least two barrels, one of which is red and the other is good to knead the dough together with Mr. Moroz... However, although Mr. Kuchma's team (which one?) will try to convince the Speaker, in case of his nomination, that this is good not only because it contributes to washing out the Left electorate, it will also be good for other reasons: Mr. Tkachenko's appearance in the ring means drastically reduced opportunities for fixing, redistribution of financial flows, and, in general, it will create a situation such that "fools remain fools, and the bird has flown the coop." Incidentally, on flights: the destiny of the "progressive" socialist Natalia Vitrenko probably depends on whether Mr. Kuchma's headquarters manages to deep-six Moroz and Marchuk at the outset. If so, our witch of Konotop will have to saddle her broom and go back to where she belongs. If not, then her jet will be refueled by the Agrarian Party for another sortie: to carpet-bomb all living things still standing in Mr. Kuchma's way to the throne.

"Tell me please, are the authorities hyping Ms. Vitrenko on purpose?" questioned not a politician but, let us say, a technical employee. Otherwise, a pro-Western Kuchma for them, and unscrupulous games on Kyiv's Bankova Street for us. But each will get his both here and there...

Professor Jerzy Osiatynski, member of the Sejm, economist, and a regular visitor to Kyiv since 1995, speaks entirely frankly on the topic of how Poland can help Ukraine: "You've got very rampant corruption... How can one manage a country under a system where there is the government, Parliament and the President's administration?.. Your shadow economy is over 50%. Mr. Pustovoitenko took offense at me, but this is so!.. The Ministry of Finance is very weak... Ukraine is somewhat schizophrenic: the law and real life are poles apart... You want to be picked up and carried by somebody else, you want the West to buy you or else you'll go to Russia. Please go if you want to! We need a free and independent Ukraine, but we will do nothing in place of it... I often say so, but it is like banging your head against a brick wall: they all agree but say they have a different mentality..."

Everybody laughed, but I felt like crying.

Kyiv - Warsaw - Kyiv

The Day thanks Ukraine's Democratic Initiatives Foundation and Poland's Stefan Batory Foundation for their brilliant organization of the trip.