“Both I and the President do not trust Vladimir Putin’s intentions” – said Karol Nawrocki after his meeting with the President of Finland. He emphasized that, according to him and Alexander Stubb, Putin is ready to attack another country. President Nawrocki believes that it may be U.S. President Donald Trump who can stop him. Stubb, on the other hand, assessed that “diplomatic relations are usually built on two pillars,” one of which is the personal ties between politicians.
The meeting between the Presidents of Poland and Finland, Karol Nawrocki and Alexander Stubb, took place this morning at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. The President of the Republic of Poland also has plans to meet with the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament and to lay a wreath at the grave of Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim.
“We have similar historical experiences, we perceive threats in the same way,” said the Finnish President after the meeting.
“We must strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense against Russia as a long-term threat. A possible peace or ceasefire in Ukraine does not mean that we can lower our guard,” Stubb emphasized, noting that many Europeans forget how much support Poland has given to Ukraine.
They do not trust Putin
The Polish President, in turn, praised the Finns. “You have the best civil defense in all of Europe,” said Karol Nawrocki, adding that he would like Poland to draw on Finnish models in this field.
“We are not only partners in the EU, in bilateral relations, but above all we are allies. The Baltic Sea basin and relations with Finland are important for Poland,” said Karol Nawrocki.
“Both I and the President do not trust Vladimir Putin’s intentions,” he reiterated, adding that both believe Putin is ready to strike another country.
“The only leader of the free world who can force Vladimir Putin to negotiate is Donald Trump,” assessed Karol Nawrocki.
Two pillars of building diplomacy
The two politicians were then asked about their personal relations with Donald Trump.
“Diplomatic relations are usually built on two pillars. The first is history, values, interests, geographical proximity, alliances. I have the impression that relations between Finland and the U.S. are strong and have been strong throughout history (…) The second pillar is personal relations. I believe this element is often underestimated. It does not matter which world leader I speak with – what matters is to establish close personal ties,” said Alexander Stubb.
“I think President Trump’s respect for Poland and Finland also stems from who we are and who we have been throughout centuries of history. That is three centuries of attachment to independence, freedom, and democracy,” added Karol Nawrocki.