Efe
Updated Friday, March 29, 2024-12:08
Live Last minute of the war in Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Poland,
Donald Tusk,
warned this Friday that "we are in a
pre-war
era " in which Europe has to be
prepared to defend itself.
In an interview in Warsaw published by the European media alliance Lena, Tusk urges compliance with the
NATO
commitment to dedicate 2% of the gross domestic product of each member country to defense and advocates intensifying aid to Ukraine.
The Polish president, who was prime minister between 2007 and 2014 and returned to power after winning the elections last October, is a
key figure in the liberal-conservative space
who presided over the European Council and the European People's Party.
"
We have not experienced a situation like this since 1945.
I know it sounds devastating, especially for people of the younger generation, but we have to mentally get used to a new era. We are in a pre-war era. I am not exaggerating. Every day it is more evident," he emphasizes.
"At the last European Council I had an interesting discussion with the Spanish president,
Pedro Sánchez
. He asked us to stop using the word war in the statements. He argued that people do not want to feel threatened in this way, which in Spain sounds abstract. He told him I responded that in my part of Europe war is no longer an abstraction and that our duty is not to argue, but to act and prepare to defend ourselves," he adds.
Ukraine, a long-term war
In his opinion, "our main task must be to
protect Ukraine from the Russian invasion
and maintain the country as an independent state" and "we may have to think about the war in Ukraine in the long term."
"We want to help Ukraine as much as we can. But at the last European Council I argued that the idea of free trade with Ukraine must be reshaped. I think I convinced France, Italy and Austria. I want a fair agreement with Ukraine on this, I want find a common denominator for the interests of Ukraine, Poland and the entire EU," he adds after protests by farmers in his country over the entry of cheaper Ukrainian grain.
"Whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump win the next elections,
it is Europe that has to do more in terms of defense
. Not to achieve military autonomy compared to the United States, nor to create parallel structures compared to NATO, but to take better advantage of our potential," he argues.
Furthermore, he points out that "we will be a more attractive partner for the United States if we are more self-sufficient in defense."
In his opinion, "we have to spend everything we can to
buy equipment and ammunition for Ukraine,
because we are living in the most critical moment since the end of World War II. If Ukraine loses, no one in Europe will be able to feel safe."
Regarding migration, he considers that the European pact in this matter "is not a good answer." "International law needs to be corrected on this issue, although I know it is almost impossible today, but the current legislation was introduced in a completely different era. I am not even talking about the fact that the UN estimates that 100 million people in Asia and Africa are willing to emigrate to Europe, but rather the fact that authoritarian regimes instrumentally use these already disadvantaged people as part of a hybrid war," he observes.
"Hot returns as a method are morally unacceptable, we must find a better solution, but the alternative cannot be defenselessness," he points out.
Asked about the possibility of the
European Union
intervening in matters such as the amnesty for Catalan separatists in Spain, he responded: "I am aware that President Sánchez sometimes resorts to harsh measures to stay in power."
"It is not my role to encourage Brussels to become more involved in internal political conflicts. I think it would be counterproductive. I will support Alberto Núñez Feijóo -Spanish conservative leader-, I believe he is a pro-European, responsible and moderate politician. But, of course, I have been working with President Sánchez for many years without conflicts or problems," he concludes.