REACTION OF POLISH PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES TO THE OCCUPATION OF THE CRIMEAN PENINSULA BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The article analyzes the reaction of the Polish parliamentary environment to the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula by the Russian Federation. It is stated that the Russian occupation of the Crimean Peninsula came as a surprise to the political elites of the Republic of Poland. In March 2014, the invasion of the Crimean Peninsula by Russian troops was one of the main topics in the Polish political discourse. It is noted that Polish parliamentary groups had different perceptions of Russia's military intervention in Ukraine at the end of February 2014. The position of Polish politicians on Russia's occupation of the Crimean Peninsula partly depended on the political and ideological views of a particular political force. The most influential Polish parliamentary parties – the Civic Platform and Law and Justice – expressed a strong protest and condemned Russia's act of aggression in Ukraine, recognizing Russia's occupation of Crimea as a violation of international law. The leadership of the social-liberal party Your Movement expressed a similar position. The Polish People’s Party and the Democratic Left Alliance reacted to the armed seizure of the Crimean Peninsula by Russian troops with more restraint. The representatives of these political forces explained their moderate stance on the Russian Federation's occupation of the Crimean Peninsula by Poland's national and economic interests. First of all, the politicians of both parties feared the economic consequences of the occupation of Crimea for the Polish economy and their gross domestic product. It is emphasized that the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine became an important unifying factor for the political elites of Poland, which tried to develop a common position on Russia in connection with the occupation of Crimea. Therefore, on March 5, 2014, Polish parliamentary circles convened a special session of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and took part in an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. During the meetings, Polish politicians agreed that the occupation of Crimea was illegal and that the Russian Federation bears full liability for the act of aggression. In the author's opinion, the consolidation demonstrated by Polish parliamentary groups at the initial stage of Russia's aggression against Ukraine was rather a temporary phenomenon and did not last long in Polish political life. The less time remained before the upcoming European Parliament elections, the more often Polish parties tried to use the situation in Ukraine to strengthen their support among voters who expressed outrage over Russian aggression. The main reasons for the support of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty by the Polish political elite are distinguished. Firstly, such support was based mainly on Poland's security interests, as the country on the Vistula is a geographical neighbor of Ukraine, therefore any unstable situation in the East could have a negative impact on the security of the Polish state. Secondly, Polish politicians saw Russia's actions in Crimea as official Moscow's desire to restore the international political order that had existed before 1991. This leads to the conclusion that the historical component, the negative experience of the communist past, also influenced the Polish establishment's political decision-making and assessment of the situation in Crimea. Thirdly, by supporting Ukraine, the Polish political establishment was trying to realize its ambitions for leadership in Central and Eastern Europe and to take a leading position in the structures of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. Keywords: Poland, Polish parliamentary parties, occupation of the Crimean Peninsula, Russian aggression against Ukraine.