Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Warsaw. Tusk emphasized that they have common and even identical views on the situation in Ukraine and said that Poland will try to strengthen relations between Great Britain and the European Union. Starmer added cooperation, including in the field of security.
– I realize that it is my dream that Brexit will one day be replaced by Brexit, maybe it is a dream. I try to be a realist, but I prefer to keep such dreams in my heart, because sometimes dreams come true in politics, said the Polish Prime Minister.
Tusk announced that he asked the European Council to hold an informal meeting with the British Prime Minister. – I hope that this is not only a symbolic reconstruction, but also a very concrete meeting regarding closer cooperation between Great Britain and the European Union, – he said.
Donald Tusk Marcin Obara/PAP
Tusk praised the “particularly close and good relations” between Poland and Great Britain. He emphasized that both countries trust each other “in difficult times of geopolitical uncertainty, fundamental changes, war near our border”. He said that this trust is priceless and the principles “to the common eye” related to both countries explain that Poland and Great Britain can count on each other.
Tusk: We have the same view on the situation in Ukraine
“Together with Great Britain and personally with the Prime Minister, we have the same point of view on the situation in Ukraine, on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and what to do and how to act in support of Ukraine,” said Tusk. . He announced that Poland and Britain will cooperate closely in this context by exchanging tasks and information.
Keir Starmer, Donald TuskTVN24
Tusk also stressed that it was important that he and Prime Minister Starmer were “very strong supporters of closer transatlantic relations”.
Tusk expressed his gratitude for the participation of British and British troops in Poland. “In the near future, your planes will be mainly responsible for the safety of our skies,” he emphasized. He also noted that Poland is building an army that “in the future will allow us to provide complete security not only for our country, but for the entire region.”
Cooperation for the safety of the Baltic and the North Sea
He said that he spoke with the British Prime Minister about cooperation in the field of maritime security. – We managed to mobilize our Nordic partners, Finland, and recently Germany also participated in these negotiations to strengthen the presence and activities of NATO, NATO infrastructure, NATO ships when it comes to security in the Baltic Sea, – said Tusk.
– We effectively prevent acts of sabotage, and if necessary, we also (…) act very strictly. Tusk emphasized that we will also cooperate with Great Britain in the issue of maritime security not only in the Baltic Sea, but also in the North Sea.
He explained that this includes, among other things: o Great Britain’s operation to use the latest technology, for example, artificial intelligence in the control and monitoring of the so-called shadow fleets.
British Prime Minister: Our countries are very close to each other
– Today our countries are very close to each other. “We have an idea of the challenges that lie ahead,” Starmer said. Among other things, he emphasized: strengthening economic relations between Poland and England and increasing trade, which now – as he said – “already reaches 30 billion pounds.”
– We can do more in terms of energy and climate. We also talked about cooperation in the field of migration. We know that Poland faces criminal gangs and illegal gangs that smuggle people from Russia and Belarus, he added.
Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk Marcin Obara / PAP
The British Prime Minister also emphasized that cooperation with Poland should also focus on security and defense. – We are great military forces. We, the British, are present in the eastern wing (NATO – ed.). We received a firm promise to Ukraine that we will help it, he added.
The British Prime Minister, who will visit Warsaw on Friday, previously met with President Andrzej Duda.
On Thursday, Starmer visited Kyiv, where he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an agreement on a “century-long partnership” between the two countries, including security and health protection.
Main photo source: Marcin Obara / PAP
