Tusk: We Will Be Respected in All World Capitals If We Believe the EU Can Be a Power Not Only Civilizational, Economic, and Scientific, but Also Military

12/02/2024

19:29

Tusk:

We Will Be Respected in All World Capitals If We Believe the EU Can Be a Power Not Only Civilizational, Economic, and Scientific, but Also Military

- History has proven to be incredibly cruel and surprising. A few years ago, no one would have thought that Poland and Germany would cooperate closely, including militarily, in defending Ukraine against Russian aggression. For many years, not only within the European Union, the thinking about the Europe-Russia relationship was dominated by illusions; at times, trivial interests took precedence over geopolitical common sense and imagination. It is absolutely crucial for the future of Europe that we draw the right lessons from past history [...] but also from the history of recent years. [...] Our first commandment should be to ensure the unity of Europe in confrontation with Russia's aggressive policy - said Donald Tusk at a press conference after a meeting with the German Chancellor. - Security has many dimensions. This includes direct support for Ukraine in this war, the rebuilding of Europe's real military strength as a whole, joint energy policy, and food security. Today, we are exchanging views and will establish a common stance wherever possible, but one thing is already clear, even after this initial part of our conversation: Poland and Germany, as the most engaged in aiding Ukraine today, must take on joint responsibility for continuing this policy and for mobilizing the entire European Union to enhance the defense capabilities of the Union and our states. We discussed, among other things, the need to intensify our cooperation [...] regarding air defense. [...] We want [...] to achieve much greater air defense capabilities as quickly as possible, meaning not in 10, 15 years, but within the next dozen or so months, much greater production capacities for ammunition, not only to help Ukraine, which is the priority today, but also so that Europe acquires defensive capabilities adequate to our potential - he continued. - We will be respected in all world capitals if we believe that the European Union can be a power not only civilizational, economic, and scientific, but also, appropriately, a military power. This is not our choice; we did not want any confrontation. It is a necessity. The European Union has an economy eight times larger than the Russian economy, and we have a population six times larger than Russia. There is no reason why we should be so clearly weaker militarily than Russia. Therefore, increasing production and intensifying our cooperation are absolutely indisputable priorities - he went on to say. - I will argue today during our working dinner to find a common solution regarding both the Green Deal and the import of food products from Ukraine. We must find, and we will find, a solution that, while respecting Ukraine's interests and our climate protection ambitions, will simultaneously effectively protect our farmers [...]. History would not forgive us if we were unable today [...] to build such a Europe, so cohesive, so united, that would not be able to oppose the aggressive policy of aggressive neighbors - he added.

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03/21/2026

STATE OF PLAY: Nawrocki to speak in Texas, Zaremba: The Right will ignore the Constitutional Tribunal like Tusk does now, Szpala/Kondzińska: The Palace has seriously begun the game for the Right's victory, Pacewicz: PiS has started to catch up