Western leaders should stop speculating about Ukraine’s defeat, Polish PM Tusk urges

The Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met President Zelenskyy in Lviv to discuss bilateral relations, military support, and historical issues.

Dec 17, 2024 - 21:00

Western leaders should stop speculating about Ukraine’s defeat, Polish PM Tusk urges

western leaders stop speculating about ukraine's defeat polish pm tusk urges ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy (l) prime minister donald (r) during meeting lviv 17 2024 presidentgovua zelensky met discuss bilateral

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on an unannounced visit to Lviv on 17 December. During the meeting, Tusk strongly urged Western leaders to stop speculating about Ukraine’s potential defeat, stating that such talk “has nothing to do with facts,” according to PAP.

The meeting comes as the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its third year, with Russian forces launching repeated, costly frontal assaults to seize Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts and push Ukrainians back from Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Russia appears to be intensifying its efforts to secure these gains before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on 20 January. Trump, who has vowed to cut US aid for Ukraine, promised to quickly end the war without providing specifics, while his aides suggested pressuring Ukraine to cede territory by withdrawing support.

According to the Ukrainian President’s website, the leaders discussed battlefield situation, diplomatic efforts, and coordination with partners. Zelenskyy said:

“What we all need in Europe is not just a pause in hostilities, not just something temporary or uncertain. We need a strong shared position – of all partners.“

At a press conference, Tusk rejected the defeatist rhetoric emerging in the West amid Russia’s costly advances in eastern Ukraine:

“Stop speculating, from any capital of the world, about the possible defeat of Ukraine, it has nothing to do with the facts,” PAP cites the Polish Prime Minister as saying. Tusk noted that Ukraine, “contrary to some pessimists,” is successfully defending itself against Russian onslaught.

Donald Tusk emphasized that now is the time for the West to believe in its strength and convince others that Ukraine and the world deserve a just peace and respect for borders.

The Polish Prime Minister said that Poland would continue supporting Ukraine, particularly regarding its NATO membership aspirations.

“If it depended on Poland, it wouldn’t take longer than one day,” PAP quoted Tusk as saying.

Tusk announced that Poland is preparing to implement a project to equip Ukrainian brigades, planning to discuss these initiatives with the Baltic and Nordic partners.

“We value everything that Poland has done for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said per PAP, noting that bilateral relations remain stable, and the talks were productive.

Both leaders reported progress on historical issues, referring to the Volyn Tragedy of the 1940s and the exhumation of its Polish victims. Zelenskyy highlighted ongoing collaboration, while Tusk emphasized that history “cannot divide us.”

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