Polish president assures Trump won't desert Ukraine, calls for NATO boost

In an interview published in the weekend edition of the leading Swiss newspaper "Neue Zuercher Zeitung" (NZZ), President Andrzej Duda stated that he is not afraid that U.S. President Donald Trump will leave Ukraine "out in the cold."

He also noted that Trump is one of the two presidents that Vladimir Putin truly fears.

"I am calmly awaiting Trump's return to office. I believe that there are only two presidents in the world whom Vladimir Putin truly fears: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Donald Trump," said Duda.

Duda explained that Trump is well aware of how much the U.S. has invested in Ukraine and will not let these investments go to waste.

"Donald Trump's way of thinking is unusual for a politician, but his assessments are very clear. He thinks logically and practically. However, when he talks about his future plans, he is enigmatic and does not reveal his strategies. He behaves in a way that ensures no one can see his cards," Duda explained, referring to his numerous meetings and personal experiences with Trump.

"President Trump counts and calculates. He knows well how much the U.S. invested politically in Ukraine during his previous presidency and in the past four years. I don't think he will simply forgo those investments. When my counterparts (from other countries) express concerns about Trump's actions in Ukraine, I smile and say: 'Just try to take something from Trump that he believes belongs to him,'" he added.

Previously, Duda has repeatedly emphasized the importance of cooperation with Trump, noting his pragmatic approach and strategic thinking ability. In other interviews, he also praised past cooperation with Trump, anticipating that if he returns to power, relations will continue to be beneficial for Poland, especially concerning Eastern Europe's security.

Duda noted that when Trump talks about the possibility of the U.S. withdrawing from NATO, he signals reluctance to bear the costs of defending countries that do not invest in their own security. He pointed out the paradox that "countries not allocating 2% of GDP for defense are aiming for European autonomy."

"I would like to know how Europe would defend itself in this way," he stated.

When asked if he meant Germany and France, he replied, "If all EU countries spent 4% of GDP on defense (a threshold Poland exceeded this year), then perhaps we could defend ourselves against Russia without U.S. support. Spending 2% of GDP gives us no chance."

President Duda compared the current situation to the Cold War era when NATO countries spent at least 3% of GDP on defense. He stressed that Russia is conducting an aggressive policy and threatening Europe, which is why NATO must be prepared to defend itself.

"Russia is not only flexing its muscles but also threatening Europe with its aggressive policy. Therefore, it must realize that NATO has an iron fist and that this could end badly for Russia," he emphasized.