During his visit to Ukraine yesterday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk traveled in a separate train carriage from his so-called “friends” — the leaders of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz posted a video showing how he interacted with Tusk at the end of their trip to Kyiv. “Tusk obediently walks away. Shock and disbelief on Stramer’s face — and on mine too,” commented Jarosław Olechowski, head of editors at TV Republika.
Tusk in Ukraine: Outmaneuvered Again?
Tusk visited Kyiv on Thursday alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The four leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Interestingly, the Polish prime minister reportedly made the trip to the Ukrainian capital… alone. As seen in video footage and confirmed by media reports, Tusk exited a different train carriage than his Western counterparts.
O rany 🤦🏻♂️ Tuska nie wpuścili do przedziału? pic.twitter.com/qzhyZWkFfU
— Dariusz Matecki (@DariuszMatecki) May 10, 2025
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Paweł Wroński offered an explanation, telling Wirtualna Polska: “The visit was organized by the Ukrainian side. Security considerations probably played a role… It’s hard to say — they were the hosts. Generally, I believe protocol matters like who traveled with whom and how are less important than what was actually said during the visit.”
A Telling Exchange Between Tusk and Merz
Chancellor Merz later posted a video on X showing the moment in question. In it, Merz appears to tell Tusk, “Go to the train, I’ll stay here,” and the Polish prime minister walks away without protest. “Tusk obediently walks away. Shock and disbelief on Stramer’s face — and on mine too,” commented Olechowski.
Merz do Tuska: „idź do pociągu, ja zostanę tutaj” i @donaldtusk posłusznie odchodzi. Na twarzy Stramera szok i niedowierzanie. Na mojej też
— Jarek Olechowski (@OlechowskiJarek) May 10, 2025
pic.twitter.com/quIXgOKduf