Tusk responded firmly to calls to block Ukraine's accession to the EU
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized statements made by representatives of the Law and Justice (PiS) party regarding a possible blocking of Ukraine’s European integration. He called such calls “idiotic” and contrary to Poland’s interests.
This refers to remarks by MP Przemysław Czarnek, who advocated blocking Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. According to Tusk, such a position could harm the country’s strategic interests.
“This is exactly the kind of anti-Ukrainian rhetoric I was talking about. It’s a destructive policy. These are idiotic words,” Tusk emphasized.
He noted that Poland and its allies in the Coalition of the Willing in Paris have once again reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine.
The prime minister noted that, despite his critical assessment of the “Law and Justice” governments and former President Andrzej Duda, he considers Warsaw’s decision to provide immediate aid to Ukraine following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion to be one of the most important in Poland’s recent history.
“Thanks to this, Ukraine may have survived the hardest days and weeks of the war. Poland has every reason to be proud of this,” Tusk said.
He emphasized that Europe recognizes Poland’s key role in deterring Russian aggression.
“It is in Poland’s security interests to effectively defend Ukraine against Russia. Period,” the Polish prime minister stressed.
Tusk also called on all Polish politicians to stop spreading anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.
Commenting on the recent attack on Ukrainian women in Bielsko-Biała, the head of the Polish government stated that inciting the public and fanning anti-Ukrainian sentiments by some politicians and media outlets leads to dangerous consequences.
“If a politician wants to ride the wave of anti-Ukrainian sentiment, then as far as I’m concerned, he is an enemy of society,” Tusk said.
The prime minister called the attack on Ukrainian children in Bielsko-Biała a “repugnant incident” and emphasized that the role of politicians is to reduce social tension, not to stoke it.
Earlier, one of the leaders of the right-wing conservative PiS party, Czarnek, stated that Ukraine’s European integration must be blocked; in his opinion, the EU should also suspend funding for Ukraine’s armaments and reconstruction until it changes its policy toward Poland.
The Polish prime minister made these remarks on Tuesday in Paris, commenting on Czarnecki’s statements regarding the need to block Ukraine’s accession to the EU and halt aid to Kyiv until the issues with Warsaw are resolved, according to Ukrinform.
Tusk explained why Poland will not transfer Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
Poland has launched the official process of establishing a permanent U.S. military base on its territory. The government has already adopted a corresponding decision, and the defense minister has been authorized to negotiate with the U.S. side and prepare the necessary infrastructure.
More than a thousand U.S. service members are leaving Lithuania following the completion of a scheduled rotation. At the same time, the timing of the next contingent’s arrival and its size remain undetermined, the country’s defense minister stated.
