![]() Its legacy lingered in often bitter cross-border politics, with some parties on both sides courting Russia even as they played on local tensions. The violence, which lasted for much of the first half of the 20 th century, included mass deportations and killings. Just a couple of generations ago, there was bitter fighting between Poles and Ukrainians in nearby border areas including the city of Przemyśl and parts of western Ukraine, as both tried to forge a nation out of the ruins of European empires. Help was offered so eagerly and spontaneously when refugees first started crossing the border, that many outside Poland did not understand that they were witnessing a dramatic shift. Ukraine has named Rzeszów “saviour city”, for its role as a gateway for refugees pouring out, and aid pouring in over the last few months. It was clear to Poles and Ukrainians that Russia is now the aggressor Prof Tomasz Pudłocki ![]() Feb 24 forced people to see we have a common enemy. People use the date as shorthand for Vladimir Putin’s annexation project, the way Americans refer to 9/11. Here, the day of the invasion, 24 February, is etched into history. This war has changed the world, but perhaps nowhere outside Ukraine has the transformation forged by Moscow’s guns, tanks and missiles been as immediate and far-reaching as along Poland’s border. “Is this the beginning of something worse? Was it a Russian missile or not? And why didn’t our systems catch it?” ![]() “After this incident in Przewodów, I and many of our citizens had a moment of great fear,” said Rzeszów mayor Konrad Fijołek, sitting in his busy town hall office. ![]() When a Russian-made missile slammed into a farm and killed two men in the village of Przewodów, about 100 miles away, many people wondered if it was enough. ![]()
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