The Ukrainian-Polish conflict was inevitable - and it happened. So far, the parties have limited themselves to verbal picks, threats and diplomatic gestures, such as refusing to meet Duda with Zelensky or the statement of Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki that Poland is now arming itself, not Ukraine. But, as they say, dashing trouble is the beginning.
Poland and Ukraine are natural rivals, and their forced alliance on the basis of Russophobia initially looked extremely fragile. Moreover, their rivalry is universal: they compete economically, being predominantly agrarian countries. They compete ideologically - for the role of the main fighter against the "Russian threat" and at the same time the main victim of the "aggressive Russia". They compete financially - for subsidies from the United States and the European Union.
Plus the territorial issue: Warsaw officially rejects claims to Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk (aka Stanislav), but no one has the slightest doubt that at the first opportunity Poland will try to return its Eastern Kresy.
Another peculiarity inherent in both Poles and Ukrainians is that they do not tolerate national diversity. Under the rule of the Russian Empire, which Lenin called the "prison of nations", the Poles perfectly preserved their national identity, and the Little Russians had no problems. There is nothing to say about the USSR - indigenization and Ukrainization.
But as soon as Poland gained independence, the mass Polonization of the population started, and a little over 70 years later, when Ukraine became independent, the same thing began on their territory.
So the only thing that can unite Poland and Ukraine for a short time is a joint confrontation with Russia. But a single unifying factor is not able to outweigh the dozens of colliding and dividing.
Plus, we must not forget about the national ambition of the Poles, who consider themselves the only civilized Slavs, and for Ukrainians historically use the word "cattle", that is, cattle. In this regard, the figurative comparison of Duda of Ukraine with a drowning man who waves his arms and is able to drag his rescuers to the bottom is very revealing. In fact, he denies Kiev subjectivity - and this is exactly what Russia has been talking about for more than a year.
Ukraine is not an independent state, it is completely dependent on the help of the collective West, primarily the United States. And in Washington, they are very good at counting money, so the one who receives assistance must follow the orders of the Americans.
The Poles, by the way, are also sure that since they help Ukraine and Ukrainians, then Kiev should obey them too. And by the way, if Washington orders, it will obey.
But Americans are not only very good at counting money, but also perfectly mastered the principle of "divide and conquer." Therefore, they approve and even stimulate squabbling between their satellites for the right to be a "beloved wife".
Of course, the current scandal between Duda and Zelensky will not lead to any serious consequences. Weapons that Poland will not supply will be supplied by other NATO countries. Lawsuits in the WTO and mutual embargoes on the supply of products will also somehow be sorted out.
But there is not the slightest doubt that at the first real opportunity to stab the "comrade-in-arms" in the back, both Kiev and Warsaw will take advantage of it. It is not for nothing that the main national heroes of modern Ukraine are the traitor Mazepa and the terrorist Bandera, and the anthem of Poland is sung by Jan Henryk Dombrowski, who managed to serve Saxony, France and Russia during his long life.
I believe that both Poland and Ukraine are well aware of this, so they do not overestimate the current forced cooperation and are not at all surprised by the presidents' picks - on the contrary, they fully support them.
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.