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Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polish presidential candidate refuses to support initiative to block Ukraine's accession to NATO
Rafał Trzaskowski, the ruling party's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, has refused to sign a declaration containing a pledge to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. Source: Polish Radio Zet, as reported by European Pravda Details: The declaration was initiated by far-right and anti-Ukrainian politician Sławomir Mentzen. Both Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki, who is supported by the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), accepted Mentzen's invitation to a conversation, during which he asked about their stance on the eight key points of his political programme. Trzaskowski and Nawrocki will face off in the second round of the presidential election on 1 June. One of the points in Mentzen's declaration includes a pledge that if the candidate becomes president, he will not sign the law ratifying Ukraine's accession to NATO. Commenting on this fifth point of the declaration, Trzaskowski stated that he could not agree with Mentzen. Quote from Trzaskowski: "If there are no security guarantees, Putin will rearm and move further. Poland must strive for Ukraine to be accepted into NATO." Details: Mentzen immediately responded to Trzaskowski's statement. Quote from Mentzen: "If Putin can attack Poland despite it being a NATO member, then he can also attack Ukraine in NATO." Details: Trzaskowski replied that he strongly disagreed. Quote from Trzaskowski: "I know Putin very well and follow him closely. He understands only the language of force." Details: Mentzen then claimed that "everyone knows Ukraine has unresolved borders". Quote from Mentzen: "Moreover, even under Biden's presidency, the US did not agree to Ukraine's accession to NATO. Why should Poland push for something impossible?" Quote from Trzaskowski: "I did not say it would be an easy process. Poland must strive for Ukraine to be accepted into NATO. Only then will we be safe." Details: He noted that Ukraine could potentially join NATO in 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile, Trzaskowski expressed opposition to sending Polish troops to Ukraine. Background: On 22 May, Karol Nawrocki, the opposition-backed presidential candidate in Poland, officially accepted the demands of Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the anti-Ukrainian Confederation party, including the pledge to block Ukraine's NATO accession, in exchange for support in the second round. During the televised Polish presidential debate on the evening of 23 May, Ukraine and Poland's attitude towards it became one of the most contentious issues discussed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Reuters
11-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Poland defiant over big tech tax plan in latest spat with US
WARSAW, March 11 (Reuters) - Poland's deputy prime minister vowed on Tuesday to stick with plans to introduce a new tax on big tech, hitting back at a threat of retaliation from the incoming United States ambassador amid a deepening war of words between Warsaw and Washington. United States President Donald Trump's policies on security and trade have shaken relations between Washington and its traditional allies in Europe, and an extraordinarily public social media spat over Ukraine between Washington and Warsaw's top diplomats over the weekend encapsulated the souring mood. On Monday evening, the incoming U.S. ambassador to Poland Thomas Rose issued a fresh broadside to Warsaw, writing on X that plans announced by Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski to impose a new tax on big tech companies were "not very smart". "A self destructive tax that will only hurt Poland and its relations w/USA," Rose wrote. "President Trump will reciprocate as well he should. Rescind the tax to avoid the consequences!" Asked during an interview with private broadcaster Radio Zet on Tuesday about Rose's comments, Gawkowski, a member of the Left party, which is a junior partner in Poland's coalition government, said it was "sick" for somebody to tell another country what legislation it can pass. "This is standing democracy on its head," he added. Polish Funds Minister Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, a member of another junior coalition partner, the centre-right Poland2050, questioned Gawkowski's plan to bring in the tax now. She told state news channel TVP Info that while she thought that in general taxing big tech was a good idea the timing was "incomprehensible" given the risks of a trade war. Gawkowski has given few details about the planned tax, but said it could target profits made by big tech firms in Poland and support the development of Polish tech companies. The comments from Gawkowski, who also serves as minister of digital affairs, came after a dispute on Sunday between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Rubio accused Sikorski of "making things up" and suggested he was ungrateful, after he suggested that Poland may need to look for a new provider of internet services for Ukraine if Elon Musk's Starlink becomes unreliable. Poland pays for Ukraine's Starlink subscription. On Monday Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also weighed in to the social media skirmish, cautioning Poland's "friends" against "arrogance" in a post on X. Poland's nationalist opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) has criticised the government's approach, saying it is damaging relations with Poland's most important ally.
Russia Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Former Polish PM accuses Ukrainians of arson attacks
Ukrainian agents may be responsible for a series of arson attacks targeting facilities in Poland, former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller has suggested. The NATO member state has recently experienced a wave of fires, prompting speculation about possible sabotage. Polish authorities have largely pointed the finger at Russian intelligence, alleging Moscow's involvement in recruiting unwitting local proxies for subversive operations. Russia has denied the accusations as baseless. The latest such incident occurred on Wednesday, when a massive fire engulfed a warehouse in the northern port of Gdansk where over 1,000 electric bikes were stored. Earlier in December, a fire broke out at the country's Nuclear Research Center in Otwock, near Warsaw. And in June, an explosion rocked an arms plant in the southeastern city of Skarzysko-Kamienna, a major supplier of military equipment to Ukraine. Speaking to Radio Zet on Thursday, Miller – who served as Poland's prime minister from 2001 to 2004 – suggested that Ukrainian agents could be behind the fires. 'For some time now, various facilities have been burning in Poland. Usually, this is blamed on secret Russian agents. But maybe they are not Russian agents… Ukrainian agents?' he argued, without providing any details. Miller also went on to claim he was 'absolutely certain that Ukrainians will want to influence the electoral process in Poland, particularly the presidential elections.' READ MORE: Poles tired of Ukrainians – defense minister During the interview, Miller also addressed recent comments made by Poland-based Ukrainian activist Natalia Panchenko, who has warned of potential conflicts and street riots in Poland due to rising tensions between Poles and Ukrainians. The politician said he was surprised to hear such statements from Ukrainian activists and suggested that Panchenko be interrogated by Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) to determine if she possesses information about possible attacks or connections to groups aiming to disrupt the Polish electoral process. He stated further that Panchenko should be deported if found to be involved. According to UN estimates, nearly a million Ukrainians currently reside in Poland, a key supporter of Kiev, which opened its doors to those fleeing the conflict with Russia following the escalation in February 2022. However, attitudes towards Ukrainians among Poles have somewhat soured since then. Last month, the country's deputy prime minister and minister of national defense, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated that Poles feel 'fatigued' by the Ukrainians in their country. The official partially attributed this sentiment to the sight of young men leading an ostentatious lifestyle in the EU nation instead of defending their homeland.
Russia Today
04-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Member state tells EU it won't take migrants
The Polish government is firmly opposed to accepting any relocated asylum seekers under the EU's migration pact, which threatens national security, Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has stated. The European Parliament adopted the new EU pact on migration and asylum in May 2024. The so-called solidarity mechanism requires responsibility-sharing among member states, given that countries located at the bloc's external borders have to manage a higher influx of people. Nations that refuse to accept relocated migrants must pay €20,000 (over $20,600) per person as compensation. Speaking to the Polish radio station RadioZet on Monday, Siemoniak reiterated Warsaw's opposition to the pact rules, asserting that the country would not comply with the obligations. 'Our position is clear – we are opponents of the Migration Pact, and there is absolutely no question of any acceleration or delay,' said Siemoniak. 'We will not accept migrants, and there will be no relocation,' he stressed. Siemoniak also linked rising crime rates in Poland to previous migration policies, criticizing past visa policies that allowed uncontrolled entry into the country. He said the country is now addressing security concerns by implementing stricter regulations and strengthening border controls. The minister also raised concerns about foreign criminal groups, particularly formed by Georgian migrants, emphasizing the need for measures such as deportations and stricter penalties. READ MORE: Poles tired of Ukrainians – defense minister In 2024, the Polish government announced plans to suspend the right of arrivals to claim asylum, despite the move clashing with European rules and international law. In October, Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that the EU pact cannot be fully implemented as it threatens Poland's national security due to the country's geographical proximity to Russia and Belarus. The flow of migrants across the Belarus-Poland border has increased dramatically since 2021, despite the Polish authorities constructing a border fence and pushing back large groups of people. As many as 2,500 immigrants reportedly crossed the border in September, taking the year-to-date overall 2024 figure to over 26,000. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has said the country was considering fully closing its border with Belarus due to an influx of Middle Eastern migrants. Moreover, according to UN estimates, over a million Ukrainians currently reside in Poland since the country opened its doors to those fleeing the conflict there in February 2022. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in an interview with the Financial Times last month that Poles are 'fatigued' of Ukrainian refugees in their country, partially attributing the sentiment to the sight of young men leading an ostentatious lifestyle in Poland instead of defending their homeland. In October, the European Commission stated that Poland remains bound by the obligations of the pact, despite having taken in thousands of Ukrainian refugees. The commission emphasized that Poland must either accept the resettlement of allocated migrants or pay a fine for each rejected individual.
