Poland opens new sea waterway to cut dependence from Russia

[blue-wave]

Source: AP News

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s top leaders celebrated the opening Saturday of a new — albeit unfinished — canal that they say will mean ships no longer must secure Russia’s permission to sail from the Baltic Sea to the ports of the Vistula Lagoon.

The event was timed to mark 83 years since the Soviet invasion of Poland during World War II and to demonstrate symbolically the end of Moscow’s say on the economy and development of a region that borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. The government says the waterway gives Poland full sovereignty in the northeastern region, which needs investment and economic development.

“The idea was to have this waterway opened and not to have to ask permission anymore from a country that is not friendly and whose authorities do not hesitate to attack and subdue others,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-poland-baltic-sea-2824bffc7856349a811b3421d1059176

[PortTack]

1. Russia is so screwed! The next few decades are going to be really difficult for them

[Evolve Dammit]

2. If leadership can be purged, they have a chance. We have similar problems here looming. I hope

Americans know what can happen when autocrats take over, and we don't have to learn the way the Russian people have. Guess we will find out it the next 26 months. In the meantime, glad to see other European countries doing what they can to cut Russia's grip.

[blue-wave]

3. This is especially significant

for Poland. Many forget that Soviet Russia invaded Poland from the east just over two weeks (on Sept. 17, 1939) after the Nazis invaded. It sealed Poland's fate, they could not fight the war on two fronts. Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia split the country in two, as outlined in the the Molotov Ribbentrop pact signed just one week (August 23, 1939) before the Nazi's invasion of September 1, 1939.

Dirty, real dirty and evil.

[Igel]

7. And presented themselves as the good guys to the rescue.

Katyn.

[erronis]

21. Katyn and now Bucha, Mariupol, Izyum

The Kremlin has long been a center of murderers.

How to change its bloody tendencies?

[GreenWave]

11. And Bush koddled the Nazis and Hitler, koch daddy coddled Stalin.

Interesting gene pool those GQP have.

[oldsoftie]

36. Don't forget Joe Kennedy & his admiration of Hitler.

And dislike of the Jews. Joe jr as well. The 30s closet has a lot of Skeltons

[PortTack]

29. Exactly..this is why Poland wants to see Ukraine defeat russia...giving all they can to the war effort

Poland would be treated to the same horrific war crimes as Ukraine.

Not all, but much of the population of Russia are nothing more than barbarians

[NickB79]

42. Poland has announced billions in new military purchases since Ukraine was invaded

Cutting-edge heavy tanks from the US and South Korea. GPS-guided howitzer systems. HIMARS rocket launchers. Apache attack helicopters. Modern fighter jets from South Korea.

Poland is not to be fucked with any longer. If Ukraine can push back the Russian invasion after 6 months, Poland can now stop them cold at the border and drive them back to Moscow.

Russia has painted itself into a corner there's no coming back from short of regime change.

https://notesfrompoland.com/2022/07/29/polands-land-forces-will-be-most-powerful-in-europe-says-defence-minister/

[Warpy]

17. Yes, especially because people like airline leasing companies got badly burned

Investment is not going to flood back in if Putin and his war hawks are gone. Russia is going to have to pay up front for anything it wants for some time to come.

Also, as I guessed 6 months ago, their southern border neighbors are getting restless and now Russia lacks the wherewithal to whip them back into shape.

So yeah, they're screwed.

[MLAA]

4. Excellent.

[Marthe48]

5. I looked up the location of the new canal

The isthmus reminds me of The Outer Banks, the barrier islands off the east coast of the U.S.

Good for Poland.

[Lasher]

8. This map is helpful.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Vistula_Spit_canal

[nuxvomica]

10. Thank you!

I can't believe the AP posted that story without a map! Two things annoy about reporting nowadays: 1) not enough maps and 2) they rarely give you the name of a bill they write a whole story about so it gets difficult to see who voted on it.

[Biophilic]

14. The less you know the more control they have over what you know.

[Vdizzle]

16. Yep!

And it makes it easier to spoon feed us all the narrative they want.

[NullTuples]

18. I miss datelines at the top of each story.

There are tens of towns called, "Jackson", or "Franklin" or "Fairview" - without the state, the story is either very important to me or completely irrelevant. Of course, that's when they bother to mention the town or city at all - often they'll just mention the school or company.

And regarding bills...I agree completely. Every write up should have at least the number if not the number and name both! Without that, the reader is fully dependent on the journalist to interpret what the bill actually says. But maybe that's the point.

[nuxvomica]

19. Yep. I hate that too.

I'll be reading a story and picturing a New England setting, only to discover it's in Alabama.

[reACTIONary]

24. +10 nt

[3auld6phart]

45. Agree.

they didn’t bother trying. Had a bit of a time yesterday trying to find out the
where abouts off the location of the Canal.

[Marthe48]

12. Thanks!

I finally located the area looking for places names mentioned in the article. This is much more helpful

Now I wonder if the isthmus is industrial or touristy.

[muriel_volestrangler]

25. Touristy, at best

Google Maps satellite view is good for that sort of thing:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Elbl%C4%85g,+Poland/%4054.3150376,19.2376208,55673m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x46fd4b9fa5df0e85:0x5a7f3b09b895c3a9!8m2!3d54.1560613!4d19.4044897

The isthmus is under a mile wide, and with one road. Most of the way to the Russian border, there's a small town under a mile long, all along that road, and one about twice that size near the new canal.

[reACTIONary]

23. +100! No map, what a mistake! NT

[oldsoftie]

38. Seeing how short it is I can't believe it hasn't been done long ago.

Such a small canal to have such a big impact.

[Hekate]

6. Congratulations to them! It's about time.

[orangecrush]

9. Good for the Poles!

Nice work!

[orleans]

13. that's a nice FU to russia. good for poland! nt

[Wounded Bear]

15. K & R...nt

[Erik the UNred]

20. Poland is the new Germany

We should redeploy our troops there. . .

[left-of-center2012]

22. Didn't the Poles....

Offer to build a new American military base and name it "Fort Trump"?

[SergeStorms]

27. If they're smart....

they won't name it after Trump. Anything with his name on it automatically becomes his personal property. He'd try to sell it to the Russians.

[left-of-center2012]

43. This was a couple years ago. N/T

[reACTIONary]

26. Wikipedia article is interesting...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistula_Spit_canal

The Russian Federation strongly objected to the canal on both environmental and security grounds, claiming that since the canal will allow NATO warships to enter the Vistula lagoon without passing near the Russian military facilities at Baltiysk, this presents a direct threat to the security of Kaliningrad and the Russian Federation as a whole.[8]

Too bad. So sad.

[cstanleytech]

40. Truth is they wanted to keep exclusive control in order to arm wrestle Poland over granting them

access and they are miffed because this takes that away.

[reACTIONary]

28. Great view showing why this canal is important...

Vistula Spit Canal

[Lasher]

31. Russia objected on account of security issues.

They said that was because NATO ships would be able to enter the Vistula Lagoon without their permission. Well, duh.

[reACTIONary]

32. +10 nt

[LudwigPastorius]

30. Too bad there wasn't resistance to the Soviets annexing Koenigsberg after WWII.

Kaliningrad is a real fly-in-the-ointment for NATO.

[oldsoftie]

37. If any other shit breaks out, Kalingrad will be the first to fall IMO

[Bayard]

33. K&R

[hunter]

34. Here's a Landsat photo of the lagoon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistula_Lagoon

The border runs across the lagoon, the existing entrance is to the north in Russia.

On land the border is faintly visible in this photo as a linear feature dividing farmland.

[dalton99a]

35. Kick

[Owl]

39. Seems pretty narrow. Fairly small ships?

[cstanleytech]

41. Probably big enough for what they need it for which is fishing more than likely.

Down the road though if they need it wider they can always do so.

[PhylliPretzel]

44. Thank you all

who have added explanations to this news. Not knowing the geography of Poland, your posts clarified the importance of this canal.