Trzaskowski: Poland is an ideal NATO partner for Trump

Donald Trump won the election and will be the 47th President of the United States, reported CNN. According to the projections of the American station, the Republican candidate gained the support that will provide him with a sufficient number of electoral votes.

Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski was asked on Rozmowa Piaseckiego on TVN24 whether, from a Polish perspective, Trump’s election is troubling, risky, or worrisome and likely to cause issues. "I’ve been saying for months that we should be ready for any scenario," he replied.

"Donald Trump has always spoken quite realistically about security, specifically saying: 'We will help those who take responsibility for themselves.' Poland currently spends the most in NATO after the United States on its own security, nearly 5% of its GDP. We have the largest army in Europe—larger than the British, the Germans, and the French," Trzaskowski stated. He added: "We are an ideal NATO member for Trump because we simply take responsibility for ourselves."

Trzaskowski also addressed the situation in Ukraine: "Listening to Trump’s advisors, some are saying very rational and reasonable things about the war in Ukraine, while others are saying worrisome things. The most important thing is that we strengthen our security and prepare for any scenario, including further convincing our friends in NATO and the EU that Europeans must take much greater responsibility for themselves. We must also reinforce our security within the European Union," Trzaskowski argued.

"Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been negotiating and discussing this for many months. We must convince our partners in Germany, for example, that the time for half-measures is over—they must truly increase their defense spending. It cannot be that Poland is bearing more responsibility for Europe’s security than countries that are much wealthier than us," emphasized the Warsaw Mayor.

Host Konrad Piasecki noted that "worrying scenarios from our perspective are being outlined" within Trump's Republican circle.

"The election campaign has its own rules, but in the end, there’s hard policy. I believe Donald Trump will maintain a tough stance toward countries that undermine U.S. interests. Today, Russia collaborates with countries like Iran and China, and Trump has historically been very firm on these issues. He knows full well that these nations do not wish the United States well, regardless of who their president is," Trzaskowski concluded.

According to Trzaskowski, "we need to send clear signals that we will continue to strengthen our border, bolster our military, and keep purchasing equipment, as this is extremely important." "If the Americans were to be less engaged in Europe—which we must consider—then the European Union needs to be even stronger. It has to allocate more funds to defense policies," he emphasized.

Asked if the alliance with the U.S. would be one we could rely on 100%, he assessed that Trump "will make rational decisions, regardless of who advises him." He added: "Today, Poland cannot be ignored in discussions on European, or even global, security."

"Poland takes responsibility for itself; it is an absolutely key country when it comes to supporting Ukraine and the geopolitics of our region. I believe Trump will have no choice but to maintain relations with us, and these relations will be based on partnership. I am confident. For months, we have been signaling to everyone that we are prepared to work with any administration in Washington and that we are taking matters of our sovereignty into our own hands," he stated.

In "Rozmowa Piaseckiego," Trzaskowski also addressed the issue of selecting a candidate for Civic Coalition (KO) in next year’s presidential election.

Asked if Trump’s victory in the U.S. should influence the choice of KO’s candidate, he replied, "I don’t believe the U.S. election has any bearing on who should be our candidate. Americans elected a president for themselves, not for Poles. If we’re serious about our sovereignty, it shouldn’t affect our choice."

He added that "all candidates in the Civic Coalition have relationships with both American parties." He expressed his determination to run, saying: "I want to and won’t back down. Since 2020, I have fought to balance the scales with PiS on behalf of Poles. I am fully committed. If my colleagues confirm it, then yes, I will run for president."

The program host pointed out that Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has also shown his ambition and challenged him. Trzaskowski responded: "It’s completely natural; we are a democratic party, and there are many people with impressive accomplishments, like Radosław Sikorski. Everyone has the right to their ambitions."

"I'm preparing to take on PiS, and nothing can weaken my resolve," he concluded.