Poland was one of Lithuania's best friends in January 1991. As Soviet troops tried to impose a puppet regime in Vilnius, Lithuania's foreign minister, Algirdas Sau-dargas, fled to Warsaw, ready to head a government-in-exile if the worst happened. Polish politicians condemned the Soviet crackdown. It failed, but 14 unarmed protesters were shot and crushed by tanks, with hundreds maimed or injured. Twenty years on, at ceremonies to commemorate these events, Poland was represented by only a low-level delegation, announced at insultingly short notice.
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