The outcome of Russia\u2019s ongoing war against Ukraine would resonate far beyond Europe, shaping how autocrats assess the West’s strength and resolve, Warsaw mayor Rafa\u0142 Trzaskowski said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever this war ends, it has to be agreed with Ukraine and reflect Ukrainian priorities,\u201d Trzaskowski told Euronews’ flagship morning show Europe Today on Thursday. \u201cEvery dictator in the world is watching whether the West will stay united and strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
His remarks come as diplomatic activity accelerates, including US-led talks and renewed debate in Europe over reopening communication channels with Moscow, an idea recently floated by French President Emmanuel Macron.<\/p>\n
Warsaw remains firmly opposed to any peace initiative that could be seen as rewarding Russian aggression or imposing terms on Kyiv.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important thing is that President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and the voice of the Ukrainian people are heard,\u201d he said. \u201cWe cannot come up with ideas that are unacceptable for Ukraine. That would be completely counterproductive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Such an approach, he warned, would damage the credibility of both Europe and the US at a time when global security norms are under intense strain.<\/p>\n
Europe must be at the table<\/p>\n
As Ukraine’s neighbour and one of its strongest backers, Poland has argued that Europe has not yet secured a sufficient role in shaping the war’s endgame, a belief backed by Trzaskowski.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think Europeans have enough of a say,\u201d he said. \u201cThere will be no solution, no security and no rebuilding of Ukraine without our involvement.\u201d Trzaskowski said.<\/p>\n
He also stressed the need for clarity about who is responsible for the ongoing all-out war, now nearing its four-year mark. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe must not blur who the aggressor is. It was Russia,\u201d he said, adding that Ukraine continues to face daily attacks on civilians in cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv.<\/p>\n
Looking beyond the battlefield, he said Europe must remain committed to Ukraine\u2019s reconstruction and its long-term European future.<\/p>\n
Poland has dramatically expanded its defence posture since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, becoming one of NATO\u2019s biggest spenders relative to GDP.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are investing almost 5% of our GDP in defense,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are strengthening our eastern border and taking responsibility ourselves, exactly as (US) President (Donald) Trump has called for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trzaskowski further argued that Polish security is inseparable from Ukraine\u2019s survival.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Ukrainians are fighting for our freedom,\u201d he said. \u201cThey gave us breathing space to rebuild our security. If this war ends with Putin\u2019s success, it would be the greatest threat to European security.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hybrid threats over tanks<\/p>\n
While downplaying the likelihood of an imminent Russian invasion of Poland, Trzaskowski warned against complacency.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Russia is given time to rebuild its military, it may come back and test our resilience,\u201d he said, pointing to hybrid warfare tactics such as disinformation, sabotage and cyberattacks.<\/p>\n
Cities, he added, are increasingly part of the security equation. Warsaw is strengthening its own resilience while learning from Ukrainian experience and aiding, including emergency generators during winter power shortages.<\/p>\n
Asked about US-led peace initiatives and Trump\u2019s proposals, the Polish capital’s chief said Warsaw is examining them pragmatically, but insists transatlantic unity remains essential.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not about emotions or personalities,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about European security. If Europe and the United States are not together, our enemies will open champagne bottles.\u201d<\/p>\n
He rejected the idea that Europe must choose between Brussels and Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cEurope needs to take more responsibility and strengthen its capabilities,\u201d he said. \u201cBut at the same time, we must keep the Americans involved. They are our closest allies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding to calls by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi for deeper EU integration, the official struck a pragmatic note.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like labels like federation or confederation,\u201d he said. \u201cBut there are areas, defence, capital markets, where we need more integration if Europe wants to be a real global player.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, he warned against over-centralisation, arguing the EU also needs flexibility and strategic self-sufficiency to navigate an increasingly unstable world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The outcome of Russia\u2019s ongoing war against Ukraine would resonate far beyond Europe, shaping how autocrats assess the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":235,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[182,297,241,181],"class_list":{"0":"post-234","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-warsaw","8":"tag-poland","9":"tag-rafal-trzaskowski","10":"tag-ukraine","11":"tag-warsaw"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}