Anyone trying to wreck Poland's relations with Germany is serving Russia, PM says

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday accused political opponents of undermining Poland’s security by attacking relations with neighbouring Germany and Ukraine, saying that anyone seeking to damage ties with either country was effectively serving Russian interests.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw, Tusk defended closer cooperation with Berlin ahead of the signing of a new Polish-German military cooperation agreement and amid criticism from the conservative opposition and President Karol Nawrocki.

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'Germany and Ukraine are our allies'

"Germany and Ukraine are our allies," Tusk said. "Anyone who today attacks Ukraine is helping Russia. Anyone who stirs up anti-German sentiment and tries to destroy good Polish-German relations is serving Russia. It’s as simple as that."

The prime minister said Russia’s war against Ukraine was entering a decisive phase and argued that Moscow’s weakening position on the battlefield could increase the risk of "provocations" against NATO’s eastern flank.

"We are receiving confirmation from all allied intelligence services," Tusk said. "The worse Russia’s situation becomes at the front, the greater the risk of Russian provocations against countries on NATO’s eastern flank."

He announced that a summit of eastern NATO members would be held in the northern Polish city of Gdańsk alongside an international conference next week on Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.

Tusk accused the opposition of seeking to create conflicts with the country’s neighbours, particularly Germany and Ukraine, at a time when unity among allies was crucial.

"Germany is our ally; Ukraine is our ally in the fight against Russian aggression, and it is paying the highest price," he said.

While acknowledging historical grievances between Poland and Germany, Tusk argued that Poland’s future security depends on Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia and on maintaining European and transatlantic unity.

"I want Poland to be a respected partner at the centre of Europe and at the centre of NATO," he said.

His remarks came as Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius prepared to sign a new bilateral military cooperation agreement in Warsaw on the 35th anniversary of the Polish-German Treaty of Good Neighbourly Relations and Friendly Cooperation.

The agreement is expected to cover areas including joint military exercises and wide-ranging defence cooperation but does not contain mutual security guarantees, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

It said Germany was willing to negotiate a broader treaty including security commitments similar to those contained in Poland’s recent agreements with France and Britain; however, Warsaw ultimately opted for a less ambitious ministerial-level agreement.

Earlier this month, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that a full treaty with Germany would likely have faced opposition from the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party and Nawrocki, prompting the government to pursue a simpler defence deal instead.

The new accord will replace a previous Polish-German military cooperation agreement signed in 2011 and is described by military officials as a standard alliance arrangement rather than a major strategic shift, according to the PAP news agency.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP