Poland deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for the help it has given to refugees from Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, says the US ambassador to Warsaw, Mark Brzezinski.
“In Poland, we have seen a rapid mobilisation of Poles to help refugees in the face of a mass exodus,” said Brzezinski in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
“No one will be able to ignore what Poles have done, how much they have mobilised, how much they have helped by giving each of them a roof over their heads and a meal,” he added. “I certainly think this deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Ambasador USA: Polska zasługuje na Pokojową Nagrodę Nobla #wieszwięcej https://t.co/UcYVgDFcT7
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He added, however, that his view may be influenced by his own bias as US ambassador to Poland. “But I can say on behalf of all Americans that we are tremendously touched by this selflessness and magnificence of the Poles who have helped the refugees.”
In May, Brzezinski hailed Poland as a “humanitarian superpower” and suggested that this year’s Time magazine “Person of the Year” award should be given jointly to President Volodymyr Zelensky and to “young Poles organising aid for Ukrainians”.
Poland has been the largest recipient of refugees from Ukraine, millions of whom crossed its borders after Russia’s invasion in February. Though some subsequently moved on to other countries and others returned home, it is estimated that between 1 and 1.5 million remain in Poland.
As soon as the influx began, Polish national and local authorities, NGOs, religious organisations, businesses and individual citizens mobilised to collect donations, offer transport and accommodation, and provide a range of other forms of assistance.
A poll in July showed that 77% of the public had been involved in helping refugees, spending around 9-10 billion zloty (€1.93-2.14 billion) out of their own pockets on doing so.
Many Poles offered accommodation in their homes not only to relatives or friends from Ukraine, but also strangers fleeing the Russian invasion. The government, with opposition support, introduced a range of measures to support the refugees as well as households and businesses hosting them.
Meanwhile, Poland has been the largest donor of military to equipment to Ukraine other than the United States, while its government has been one of Ukraine’s strongest advocates in the international arena.
This has been “an incredibly important moment in the history of the Polish country”, Brzezinski told PAP. “This gives hope for a broad renewal of the country, the awakening of such potential for Poland to flourish, and it is thanks to this rapid mobilisation.”
“[Poles] know that Ukrainian refugees are not taking their jobs; in fact, Ukrainian refugees are helping to stimulate the Polish economy,” added the ambassador, whose father, Zbigniew, was born in Poland and later obtained US citizenship, serving as national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.
Poland’s Lech Wałęsa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his leadership of the non-violent struggle against communism. Polish-British physicist Józef Rotblat won the award in 1995 for his work to diminish the role played by nuclear arms in international politics.
Main photo credit: Mirek Pruchnicki/Flickr (under CC BY 2.0)
Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.
