“We are next”. Andrzej Duda convinced Trump to support Ukraine
Below we publish a fragment of the book “War” by Bob Woodward, which will be released by the Port of Port on June 4.
“You occupy a central point in the struggle of Ukraine,” I told President of Poland Andrzej Duda in the bright, sunlight of the Polish consulate in New York on April 17, 2024.
I wanted to check if the populist right -wing president feels threatened, dividing the border with Ukraine with a five hundred and five kilometers. What would you mean for Poland to occupy Ukraine by Russia?
Fifty -year -old Duda, with short -cut hair and in glassless glasses, emanated a powerful and expressive confidence. His eyes shone, and his hands emphasized each sentence. The nine -year presidency of Duda included three American administrations – Obama, Trump and Biden. The Polish leader boasted good relationships with everyone, but He was particularly close to Trump.
“My biggest political dream is that Russia would not win with Ukraine,” he declared. – This is by far the most important issue for the safety of my country, Poland, our part of the world, but also, I think, the whole world.
“Ukraine is our neighbor and is fundamental to us that it will remain a sovereign, independent state that will not succumb to Russia,” he added. – We know what the Russian occupation means, we know what Russian terror means, and we know that Ukrainians need to help.
He leaned forward and tapped his finger on the table top to emphasize the importance of his words.
Poland also borders in the north with the Królewiecki District, Russian excuse, and in the northeast – with Belarus. On both territories, Russia is storeing nuclear weapons. Did Duda think his country could be next if Putin took control of Ukraine?
For twenty -six months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Poles lived with war at their doors.
“It is possible that you do not feel it in the same way in the United States,” Duda noted.
Polish families have adopted millions of Ukrainian refugees under their roof. World leaders came to Poland, after which they traveled by a twelve -hour train journey to Kiev. It was Poland who ensured shelter of embassies that could no longer operate in Ukraine, as well as the infrastructure necessary to send huge amounts of military equipment and humanitarian aid, mainly from the United States.
Andrzej Duda, president of Poland, welcomes the then US President Joe Biden in Warsaw, March 26, 2022.
Duda reminded me of 1939.
At the dawn of World War II, Hitler and Stalin entered into a non -aggression pact that enabled them to attack Poland and its occupation. First, on September 1, 1939, Poland invaded Poland, and then, the seventeenth, Russia.
“We didn't receive any help,” Duda said. Poles remember that the Allies did not come to their aid in the thirty -nine.
“Although in 1999 we joined NATO, there was no alliance in Poland for seventeen years,” Duda continued. – I thought: well, we are in NATO, but where is it?
His expression was expressed by disbelief.
During Obama's administration, the American army was stationed in Poland for the first time, but only rotational, not permanently. Trump and Biden continued this policy.
“It's one hundred percent credible”
At the beginning of February 2022, just before the Russian invasion, President Biden sent a thousand seven hundred American soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to Poland. The next three thousand soldiers from this elite unit were later arranged in Europe, including hundreds in Poland – near Rzeszów, near the border with Ukraine – as well as in Romania and Germany, to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO. At the beginning of March 2022, just a few weeks after Putin's invasion, Biden sent Vice President Harris to Warsaw. In this way he wanted to signal even more strongly that The United States will not tolerate Russian aggression against NATO allies on the eastern flank.
Kamala Harris, then US Vice President, and Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, during a press conference. Warsaw, March 10, 2022
As Duda said: “[Biden] It is one hundred percent credible when it comes to the obligations he has made against my country. “
“We have not been attacked yet, and the Americans have already sent their troops,” he added. In a telephone conversation, Biden assured Duda that the US was on the side of Poland.
– said the Polish president.
A month earlier, on the eleventh of March, Duda's article appeared in “The Washington Post”, “NATO countries called to increase defense expenditure from two to three percent of GDP.
At that time, Poland spent four percent of its GDP on defense, i.e. over twenty -seven billion dollars a year. In 2023, the United States allocated 3.49 percent, or eight hundred sixty billion dollars for this purpose. However, many NATO member countries did not reach even two percent, including France, Spain and Canada.
In February at the election rally in South Carolina, former President Trump, a frequent NATO critic, stated that he would allow Russia to attack allies who do not pay contributions.
Andrzej Duda and Donald Trump in the White House. Washington, September 18, 2018
He mentioned that a president – whose name he did not reveal – once asked him: “Mr. President, if we do not pay and be attacked by the Russians, will you protect us?” Trump, he claimed, replied: “No, I will not protect. I will even encourage them to do what they want”.
The audience cheered.
“Their life is not very valuable for Russia”
Duda adopted a more diplomatic tone in his article.
“The Russian Federation has switched its economy to war mode. It allocates nearly thirty percent of its annual reinforcement budget,” he wrote. He argued that due to the growing threats it is time for European Union members to increase their defense expenses.
At this point, it is worth noting that most NATO countries with the largest defense expenses are the countries of the eastern flank, closest to hostilities, including Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary and Latvia.
“Russia can't win this war,” Duda told me. – This is the most important thing. We are dealing with a brutal Russian imperialism that kills people. And now these imperial teeth are red from the blood of Georgians, from the blood of Ukrainians.
He referred to Russia's invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.
“We need to support Ukraine with military technology all the time,” he continued. He believed that Russia would not win with modern weapons, which they have in their US and NATO arsenals, but the weapon must actually reach Ukrainians on the front.
Ukraine faced potentially catastrophic deficiencies of ammunition and weapons. A huge aid package worth $ 60.8 billion got stuck in the US Congress for almost half a year. The Russians began to conquer new areas.
Trump called leaders sending help to Ukraine “losers”. He vetoed every attempt of the aid package, claiming that support for Ukraine means wasting taxpayers' money, Ukraine is eaten by corruption, and Russia's victory is inevitable. Biden was furious that before the package passes through the Congress, he still had to include Mar-a-Lago along the way.
According to President Duda, Ukrainians desperately needed long -range ammunition and aircraft to repel Russia. The Russians also had a much larger number of soldiers.
“Ukraine wins when she manages to keep Russia at a distance,” he explained. – If there are direct clashes, then such clashes are unfortunately usually won by the Russians, because It does not matter to them that ten Ukrainian soldiers will die, and the Russian hundred. For them, only the fact that they can win.
For Russia, these soldiers were simply cannon meat.
“These are not children from Moscow or St. Petersburg,” said Duda. – These are not the children of Russian elites. They are people from distant corners of Siberia, from distant regions of Russia, appointed and sent to death. Their life is not very valuable for Russia.
I asked Duda if he talked to President Putin since the war in February 2022.
“No,” he replied.
– Why?
– You don't talk to people who murder others and behave like bandits.
“We are next”
The Polish president made four trips to Ukraine to show support to President Zelnski, including the twenty -third February 2022, a few hours before Russia's attack.
“I won't forget the moment for the rest of my life,” he recalled. – He told me that we could never see each other again, and I said that we would do everything in our power to survive. We, i.e. Poland, but also NATO and the whole free world, will not leave Ukraine alone – added Duda and hit the table with his fist.
Wołodymyr Zelnski, President of Ukraine, and Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, the day before the invasion of Russia to Ukraine. Kyiv, February 23, 2022
That evening, on the seventeenth of April, Trump hosted President Duda for a two -hour dinner in his apartment in Trump Tower, dripping twenty -dimensional golden golden golden penthousie gold, from which there is a view of Central Park and Manhattan. The former American president stayed in New York in connection with the criminal trial regarding his hiding payments for the silence of porn actress.
The memories of advisers show that Duda convinced Trump about the importance of further US help for Ukraine with the same zeal as me.
One of them stated that it was impossible to listen to the Polish president, who asked for rescue for his country, and not to be moved, as it was impossible to go to the agenda of his threat from Russia – not only for Ukraine, but for Poland, Europe and democratic countries around the world.
Trump asked Duda many questions. What were Russia's intentions towards Ukraine? If Russia takes Ukraine, a greater war will break out?
“We're next,” Duda told him.
Over the next few days, Trump remained extraordinary restraint in criticizing help for Ukraine and this time he did not fuel the moods of his supporters with arguments taken from the doctrine “first America”.
After dinner with Duda, he announced the Truth Social on his social networking site: “Ukraine's survival and strength should be much more important for Europe than for us, but it is also important for us!”
As you can see, help for Ukraine became, at least temporarily, “important”.
“Very in the style of Ronald Reagan”
During his presidency, Trump arrived at Duda's invitation to Poland and on July sixth 2017 he gave a speech at the monument to the Warsaw Uprising. The ceremony was also attended by former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, the leader of the Solidarity workers' movement, who introduced Poland to the road to freedom and liberated it from the Soviet rule.
“Our defense,” said Trump, “this is not only a financial commitment, but also a commitment to will.” […]. The main question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. […] Poland is in our hearts […]. Just as Poland could not be broken, I announce today to the whole world that the West will never, will never be broken.
Donald Trump during a speech at the Warsaw Uprising monument at Krasińskich Square. Warsaw, July 6, 2017
The crowd chanted:
– Donald Trump! Donald Trump!
“The best speech of his presidency,” commented Senator Lindsey Graham. – Very in the style of Ronald Reagan.
The book “War” by Bob Woodward will be released by the Port of Port on June 4.
