The European Union and NATO must open their doorways to all nations who need to sign up for, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda says.
Speaking on the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Polish president stated nations reminiscent of Moldova and Georgia must experience the similar welcome as his nation did.
“Poles are in favour of an open door policy to both the European Union and NATO,” he instructed Euronews’ Sasha Vakulina. “Why? Among other things, because we ourselves once experienced this policy. If we are supporters of democracy, in the best sense of the word, then it is the nations that have the right to decide whether they belong.”
Watch the interview within the video participant above
Interview Transcript
Sasha Vakulina, Euronews: We’re getting on the subject of the twenty fourth of February, the date that might mark 12 months since Russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine. Poland has been at the vanguard in such a lot of facets right through this yr. I wish to ask you, how has Poland modified right through this yr?
Andrzej Duda, President of Poland: Poland has modified so much. Poles spontaneously drove to the border, opened their houses, got here of their automobiles, took refugees, those that have been fleeing the struggle, those that had taken safe haven in Poland. As again and again as I’m in Ukraine, as again and again as I meet defenders of Ukraine, infantrymen, commanders, as again and again I say: concentrate, combat evenly, protect the state, combat towards Russian aggression. Your better halves, your youngsters, your moms, your sisters who’ve come to us, to Poland, are secure. Today, the Ukrainian language may also be heard far and wide in Poland, in each public establishment, in each store, at the tram, at the bus, in the street, far and wide. This is our truth nowadays. We are living in combination, we really feel just right in combination. We are, one may just say, two pleasant and even brotherly countries. And for us, in the case of army safety, this is a nice demonstration, now not simplest to us as a society, but additionally to the entire global, that independence, freedom, isn’t given as soon as and for all, that independence may also be misplaced on account of aggression. A loose, sovereign, unbiased nation has been brutally attacked; the brutal Russian invader destroys properties, fires missiles at civilian settlements, kills other people. This is a large surprise to the sector. For us, the entire extra mobilisation to improve our safety.
Sasha Vakulina: Do you suppose those requires more potent safety and extra safety considerations might be strengthened after you talk at Davos and after this message being so loud right here on the World Economic Forum?
Andrzej Duda: The fact is this financial discussion board, which has all the time had this sort of most commonly financial profile, nowadays is vastly ruled by means of safety problems. Of route, this safety could also be seen now not simplest via an army, purely army prism. We do, in fact, speak about the truth that Ukraine must be supported, and that it is very important to ship palms help to Ukraine always whether it is to protect itself and fend off Russian aggression. This is why we spoke such a lot the day before today concerning the Polish initiative to ship Leopard tanks to Ukraine, in order that, as a part of allied help from quite a lot of nations, shall we acquire in combination those Leopard tanks and create a minimum of an armoured brigade for Ukraine. We also are speaking about power safety, we’re speaking about Europe’s power independence, and we’re speaking about the truth that the Russian coverage, as we now all see, was once brutally designed and geared toward domination over Europe, therefore Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. This could also be the cause of our Polish protests towards Nord Streams, as we noticed in it a trail to Russian hegemony within the European power marketplace, in the case of gasoline. We had been diversifying gasoline provides to Poland for years, as a result of we noticed the chance. Unfortunately, our warnings have been neglected. That’s why nowadays we’re speaking in Davos about development power safety with our heads held top, as a result of we now have been doing it for a very long time.
Sasha Vakulina: There are a whole lot of warnings which were voiced by means of Poland up to now relating to power safety, relating to financial dependence, relating to the entire safety state of affairs. How do you suppose the struggle in Ukraine has modified Europe’s geopolitical safety dynamics for Poland and Eastern European nations?
Andrzej Duda: Firstly, one thing that definitely shocked Putin and the Russian aggressors. Unity, the cohesion of the European Union, the cohesion of NATO. Something that has now not been so obviously provide till now, for the reason that Russians didn’t stumble upon such cohesion both in 2008, once they attacked Georgia, or in 2014, once they in fact attacked Ukraine for the primary time. Now they’ve collided with a wall of cohesion from the European facet and from the North Atlantic Alliance. Secondly, this struggle has additionally proven that there’s no safety nowadays truly with out shut Euro-Atlantic, or transatlantic, ties, that the United States performs an enormous position relating to development this, this European safety. Today, the largest help to Ukraine is from the United States. I’m very proud as president of Poland, as a result of we’re in a fully main place so far as this army help to Ukraine is anxious. For this army help we’ve already spent over $2.3 billion. So, for us this is a massive expense and an enormous sacrifice, however we all know that we’re doing this to construct the protection of our a part of Europe, and we’re doing it and can proceed to do it.
Sasha Vakulina: We have noticed the EU now not increasing a lot over the last years. Is this additionally one thing to reconsider, together with Ukraine, together with Moldova and different nations that may be there in Europe becoming a member of the bloc.
Andrzej Duda: We, Poles are in favour of an open door coverage to each the European Union and NATO. Why? Among different issues, as a result of we ourselves as soon as skilled this coverage. If we’re supporters of democracy, in the most productive sense of the phrase, then it’s the countries that experience the correct to come to a decision whether or not they belong. It is countries that experience the correct to come to a decision by which route they would like their states to move, by which route they would like their regimes to move. If the Ukrainians, our neighbours, wish to belong to the European Union, in the event that they wish to belong to NATO, if the similar is correct of the folk of Moldova, if the similar is correct of the folk of Georgia, they’ve the correct to take action. This struggle displays that that’s what Putin does now not settle for. This is what Putin, together with his authoritarian personality, together with his will to enslave different countries and his personal society is attempting to remove from the Ukrainians, to remove this chance, to remove their freedom, to remove their alternative to belong to the communities of the West, to NATO, to the European Union. We can by no means conform to this. Today, Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects concrete steps from NATO.
Sasha Vakulina: After nearly 80 years of peace in Europe, the struggle is again within the continent. In the larger image, how can the present generations keep away from the repeat of previous tragedies? From the standpoint of Poland.
Andrzej Duda: First of all, Russia will have to be stopped. That is why nowadays we, because the loose global, must enhance Ukraine with all our power, together with supporting it militarily. But, then again, the struggle crimes will have to be punished. The entire global will have to see that we don’t let pass of the crimes dedicated by means of the Russians in Ukraine. That the perpetrators of the crimes are held criminally accountable. It was once Russia that invaded Ukraine with none explanation why. And the punishment it must undergo for this must be completely critical.
