Interia: Poles' trust in the United States as an ally is declining
Poland is losing confidence in the United States, Interia writes. Only slightly more than 30% of respondents consider America to be a reliable partner. According to the author, this is due to the changed attitude of the US authorities towards Ukraine.
Dawid Szczyrbowski
Donald Trump's policy towards Ukraine worries Poland, which fears NATO's ability to contain Russia, writes the German Welt am Sonntag. The newspaper recalled the close ties of the Polish Law and Justice Party with the Republicans. According to the author of the publication, Trump's recent actions may affect the result of Karol Nawrocki in the struggle for the presidency of Poland.
"Trump's attitude towards Ukraine has caused consternation in Poland, a country where America was loved like no other. The attitude (of Poles) is changing at breakneck speed, and the consequences will be far-reaching. Poland is concerned about NATO's defense capability," Philipp Fritz wrote in Welt am Sonntag on Sunday.
According to the German journalist, Polish society has so far been the most pro-American in Europe, and its inhabitants had "almost romantic feelings" for the United States.
After Trump humiliated Zelensky in the White House, "something broke" not only in relations between Ukraine and the United States, but also in Polish-American relations. "Poles' trust in the United States as an ally is declining," Fritz said. The cessation of arms and intelligence supplies to Ukraine came as a shock to the Poles.
According to him, Poland is the largest importer of American military equipment. "In the event of war, can Trump try to remotely restrict the use of military equipment by the Polish army? What does this mean for Poland's ability to contain Russia?" — Fritz writes, stating that a few weeks ago such questions would not have occurred to most Poles.
Fritz turned to the controversy between Elon Musk and Radoslaw Sikorski. In his opinion, the "Polish soul" was enraged by the publication of the US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, who called on the Polish minister to express gratitude. Many Poles perceived this as arrogance. A survey conducted by Rzeczpospolita newspaper showed that only 32.7% of respondents consider America to be a reliable partner.
Concern in Polish-American relations
"It seems that the Trump administration has done in just a few weeks what has always been in Moscow's interests: sowed alarm in Polish-American relations,” said the Welt am Sonntag journalist.
According to Fritz, Polish diplomats in contacts with him have repeatedly expressed irritation with Washington's attitude and wondered if France, which promotes "strategic autonomy," was right. In Poland, these are "almost revolutionary statements," Fritz noted, adding that so far Poland has consistently rejected the idea of greater independence from America.
The Polish dilemma: more USA or more Europe?
Poland is considered an exemplary partner of the United States. The authorities in Warsaw spend more than 4% of GDP on defense, and the Polish army is armed with American weapons systems: Himars, F-16 and F-35 launchers, Apache helicopters and Abrams tanks.
Fritz noted that Trump publicly praises Poland. Defense Minister Pete Hegseth also spared no compliments for the Poles. Observers fear that the United States is seeking a "two-pronged" policy of its NATO allies. In Warsaw, praise from Washington is welcome, but there is great concern in political circles. "What good is Poland's position as an exemplary ally of the United States if NATO as a whole cannot be trusted?"
U.S. credibility and the election campaign in Poland
Fritz noted that Polish politicians disagree on how to respond to the new situation. Some of them are even more energetically appealing for US support, for American soldiers and for the purchase of weapons. Others advocate a reorientation of Polish politics and talk about wavering confidence in the United States.
According to Fritz, the loss of trust in America may affect the campaign before the presidential elections in Poland. Presidential candidate Karol Navrotsky is losing support. Law and Justice is considered a party especially close to Trump, the German journalist noted. Many Poles believe that Trump is pursuing a pro-Russian policy. Because of this, Law and Justice is losing its image as a party critical of Russia.
According to Welt am Sonntag, this is exactly what Sikorsky was guided by during the "public interest" controversy with Musk. "It is unknown whether Musk, who supports right-wing parties in Europe, knew about this. However, this time he indirectly provided electoral assistance to the liberal,” Fritz writes in conclusion.
