Poland’s outgoing President Andrzej Duda has stored few revelations for the ultimate weeks of his presidency.
Ten years in workplace – a tenure spanning Donald Trump’s first and present time period – his admiration for the incumbent chief of the free world stays undimmed. As is his conviction that Ukraine’s solely probability of peace lies with the US chief.
In an interview with Sky Information within the presidential palace in Warsaw, President Duda described Mr Trump‘s tariff coverage as “shock remedy”, a negotiating tactic from a person “of big enterprise and business success” that he now brings to the sector of politics.
That is probably not what European politicians are used to, Mr Duda says, however Donald Trump is answerable to the US taxpayer and to not his European counterparts, and allies should “keep calm” within the face of this new transatlantic modus operandi.
As for negotiations with Vladimir Putin, President Duda is certain that Donald Trump has the measure of the Russian chief, whereas refusing to be drawn on the competencies of his chief negotiator Steve Witkoff who landed on Friday in Moscow for additional talks with Vladimir Putin – a person Mr Witkoff has described as “reliable” and “not a foul man”.
Placing the kybosh on Nord Stream 2 in his first time period and thwarting President Putin’s vitality ambitions through his state-owned vitality large Gazprom are proof sufficient that Mr Trump is aware of the place to hit so it hurts, Mr Duda says.
Given the failures of Europe’s leaders to barter peace by way of the Minsk accords, he believes the onus now falls on Donald Trump.
“If anybody is ready to drive the tip of Russia’s battle, it’s probably solely the President of the US,” he says.
“The query is whether or not he can be decided sufficient to do this in a approach – as a result of it’s also essential right here in Europe being a neighbour of Russian aggression towards Ukraine – that the peace is truthful and lasting.”
President Duda has simply weeks left in workplace earlier than the nation votes for a brand new president in Might.
Initially from Poland’s conservative Regulation and Justice social gathering, one of many few factors of alignment with the liberal and euro-centric prime minister Donald Tusk is the emphasis each place on safety.
Hopes for ‘Fort Trump’ base
So did the announcement this week that the US can be withdrawing from the Jasionka air base close to Rzeszow, which is the important thing logistics hub for allied help into Ukraine, come as a shock to the president, because it did to many Poles?
By no means, Mr Duda says.
“We have been warned that the change was deliberate. I’ve not acquired any data from [the US] about lowering the variety of American troopers. Fairly the other.”
US defence secretary Hegseth and President Duda met in February. Pic: Reuters
He referred again to talks with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth in February, saying: “We mentioned strengthening the American presence in Poland, and I discussed the concept of making an enormous base of US troops. Then, we known as it Fort Trump. I do nonetheless hope that this concept can be applied.”
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Eyewitness: Inside Polish NATO base on frontline with Russia
Andrzej Duda has staked his legacy on shut ties with Donald Trump at a time when many NATO allies are contemplating a type of de-Americanisation, as they take into account new buying and selling realities and construct up their very own defence capabilities.
Poland has confirmed itself a mannequin when it comes to defence spending, investing greater than some other NATO member – a large 4.7% of GDP for 2025. However because the case of Canada reveals, even the perfect of friendships can flip bitter.
The Canadian conservative social gathering, as soon as dubbed a maple MAGA, was flying excessive within the polls earlier than Donald Trump determined to savage hyperlinks together with his closest buying and selling associate.
Now within the area of just some months they’re floundering behind the ruling liberal social gathering. Is that this a cautionary story for Poland’s conservative Regulation and Justice social gathering?
“For Canadian conservatives it’s a form of facet impact of President Trump’s very robust financial coverage,” Mr Duda says.
“In Poland, this doesn’t have such an influence. The safety points are crucial. That is crucial situation in Poland.”
