President Karol Nawrocki takes part in the World Economic Forum in Davos. On Wednesday, he appeared in a panel discussion on European defense, which was also attended by, among others, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and President of Finland Alexander Stubb.
— The United States is Poland's most important ally, Nawrocki emphasized. He also assessed that despite the tensions around Greenland, the North Atlantic Alliance is “stable”. He also expressed hope that the Greenland issue would be resolved diplomatically.
What is Nawrocki's position towards Donald Trump?
What did Rutte say about defense spending?
What tensions affect Greenland?
What is the importance of the USA for Poland according to Nawrocki?
During the debate, Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, pointed out that the North Atlantic Alliance is built in such a way that the USA, Canada and European countries are integrated. — This does not mean that the US should save Europe and Europe should save the US. No, we operate in full integration. It is crucial for Europe and the US to have NATO, he said.
Rutte praises Trump. There is Nawrocki's reaction
Rutte pointed out that the main issue that irritates the US is the allies' defense spending. The United States currently allocates over 3%. GDP per military. – In Europe we spend on average 2%. A question for all listeners: many of you criticize Donald Trump, but do you think that without Donald Trump the eight large economies in Europe would have reached the 2% level? in 2025, when they had only 1.5 percent. at the beginning of the year? There is no such possibility. Without Trump, this would not have happened, argued the NATO chief.
President Nawrocki reacted to this statement. — I am satisfied with Mark Rutte's answer that we need Donald Trump in the European Union. We also believe in our army in Poland, he said.
Rutte was also asked whether he imagined that European defense would not be based on NATO in the future. “No, I can't imagine that,” he replied.
Nawrocki, in turn, emphasized that he was not afraid that the situation related to American pressure on the Greenland issue would change the perception of the war in Ukraine as the most important issue for Poland, NATO's eastern flank and “the entire free world”
— Tensions around Greenland do not mean that we have forgotten about Russia's war against Ukraine. We still feel a threat from Russia, we are in the middle of a hybrid war, said the president and expressed hope that “we are slowly approaching peace in Ukraine.”
— Answering the main question, “can Europe defend itself”, I hope that we will never get an answer in the context of kinetic war. It is our task, the leaders of Europe, to think about the future and I believe that we are trying to do it, concluded Nawrocki.
