Poland turns to the Nordic and Baltic countries to unite against Russia

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (left) and his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson in Harpsund, Sweden, November 28. HENRIK MONTGOMERY/TT / AFP

For Polish diplomacy, it is a small revolution. After having focused for years on regional cooperation within the Visegrad group (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia) and trying to get in tune with and Germany within the framework of the Weimar triangle, the government liberal led by Donald Tusk, in power since December 2023, has found a coalition of states which unreservedly shares its positions on security and defense issues.

On Wednesday November 27, the Polish Prime Minister was for the first time, the“special guest” of the Nordic-Baltic Cooperation group (NB8, regional cooperation forum of the Nordic and Baltic countries) which usually brings together Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. An alliance now perceived as “natural”both by Polish diplomats and their Nordic counterparts. Poland also speaks of members of the “Baltic Sea group” like his “closest partners and allies”with whom it carries out informal consultations before each European Council.

On Wednesday, in Harpsund, the summer residence of the Swedish Prime Minister, the conservative Ulf Kristersson, 120 kilometers west of Stockholm, the leaders of the seven countries present (Lithuania and Iceland were absent) displayed their intransigence towards Russia, “the greatest and most immediate threat to our long-term security”while emphasizing the need to preserve good relations with the United States and strengthen European defense.

“Warning” to Western countries

By videoconference from , President Emmanuel Macron spoke briefly to discuss aid to Ukraine and the security situation in Europe. Adopted at the end of the summit, the joint declaration emphasizes the need to intensify military, financial and political support for Ukraine and to work towards “victory plan” of the country. The document mentions that kyiv should in no way give up its aspiration to join the European Union and NATO.

“An independent Ukraine guarantees the security of our region and the entire Western community. (…) Ukraine cannot lose. If she loses, we all lose.”declared Mr. Tusk, who also sent a ” warning “ to Western countries who do not share this point of view: “It is an illusion to believe that if we accept Russian conditions for a ceasefire in the sense of neutrality or demilitarization of Ukraine (…)this will stabilize the situation in the entire region (…). On the contrary. Our capitulation will only deepen the crisis and increase the risks for us all. »

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