Speaking before his departure for London, Tusk said that “it has to be clear that … Poland is on the side of
Ukraine, without any buts,” saying this was in Polish national interest.
Tusk also pointedly said that Europe should still work on “the closest possible alliance” with the US, even if the US administration’s position is “not as straightforward as ours” on the Ukraine-Russia war.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is a staunch ally of Ukraine, with Poland providing extensive military aid to Kyiv since the full-scale Russian invasion. Photograph: Paweł Supernak/EPA
He then went on to talk about Europe’s military awakening, calling for increased defence spending as “an additional insurance policy,” while insisting that “being self-reliant does not mean being by itself”.
“A Europe that understands its global potential, its status as a superpower, will not be an alternative to the US, but the most wanted ally. In the end, that’s what Trump wants, for Europe to take much greater responsibility for its security,” he said.
“It’s a paradox, someone rightly pointed this out, that 500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans to defend them from 140 millions Russians,” he said.
He then extensively quoted data from
the latest report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, showing the military advantage of Europe and Ukraine over Russia.
He also said that he would support Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s plan to call an emergency EU-US summit, and urge partners to increase military presence on the eastern flank of Nato, including in Finland, the Baltics, and in Poland.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to join European, Canadian and Turkish leaders for summit on Ukraine
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