Poland’s role in the Three Seas Initiative: perspectives from Russian academia and experts

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the issue of the Three Seas Initiative and Poland’s role in Central Europe in the Russian academic and expert narrative. The research is based primarily on Russian scientific articles and expert publications in the Russian media – mainly on the Internet. The general conclusion from the conducted research is as follows: the Russian academic narrative, in its perception of the Three Seas Initiative, tries to notice various factors influencing the political situation and regional cooperation in Central Europe, treating Central European countries as entities initiating integration processes in the region. In turn, the Russian expert narrative is dominated by the view that this is a project implemented by the Anglo-Saxon countries, in which the decisive factor is the United States, which is interested in consolidating its geopolitical primacy in Central Europe and displacing Russian and Chinese economic and political influences from this area. Russian experts also point to Poland’s historically motivated, nostalgic ambitions to play a leadership and hegemonic role in the region and to strengthen, with the help of Washington and London, the position of the Central European region vis-à-vis the continental powers of Europe – Germany and France.