“Unlike its European allies, the authorities in Warsaw now have important tools,” said Stefanie Bolzen and Philipp Fritz, authors of the article. “The show of force in Washington showed the great influence of Poland, from a military point of view the country belongs to the heavyweights.”
According to the authors, Poland’s significant military capabilities allow it to influence its allies, and Polish diplomats could have played a decisive role in facilitating the US agreement on aid to Ukraine.
Die Welt commentators highlighted the recent visit of President Andrzej Duda to Washington and his meeting with Donald Trump. During the discussion, the two leaders discussed such important issues as military support for Ukraine and the need for NATO countries to increase defense spending.
Quite unexpectedly, shortly after the meeting, Republicans decided to end the long-running $61 billion. blocking of US dollar aid to Ukraine.
The article says that President A. Duda’s efforts to persuade D. Trump may have played a significant role in this turn of events, especially considering the long-term friendship between the two. “Perhaps the reason was the efforts of President A. Duda to convince D. Trump?” After all, he has been his friend for a long time,” the article reads.
The authors also highlight the lesser-known fact that in recent weeks Poland has been actively engaged in a diplomatic offensive in Washington to ensure that Ukraine receives the necessary military aid.
Die Welt mentioned that President Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited the White House a couple of weeks ago, emphasizing unity on issues related to Polish security. The Polish approach highlighted that security and the situation in Ukraine have a direct connection.
According to German journalists, Poland, being a forward country on NATO’s eastern border, is a very important country from a military point of view, the main transit country for the supply of weapons to Ukraine. As a result, Poland became an extremely important member of NATO. The recent visits of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Warsaw further highlight this.
The paper also pointed to the long-standing strong ties between Poland and the US, and the fact that Poland’s significant defense spending has won recognition in Washington.
