Polish FM calls Trump-Putin direct talks “mistake”, warns of consequences for US credibility

Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has sharply criticized Donald Trump’s recent decision to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a “mistake.”

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on a public panel alongside his German, French, and British counterparts, Sikorski also warned that failing to secure a fair peace for Ukraine would severely damage US credibility and embolden China in its ambitions regarding Taiwan, Caliber.Az reports per Polish media.

“I think the call was a mistake,” Sikorski stated in reference to Trump’s conversation with Putin on February 12 this week. “I argued against an early summit,” he added, likely referring to Trump’s announcement following the call that he might soon meet with Putin in person. “It vindicates Putin and lowers morale in Ukraine.”

When asked what he would say to Trump, Sikorski offered three key points. First, he reminded Trump that his predecessor, President Joe Biden, had “planted the US flag in downtown Kyiv and declared on behalf of the United States that the US will be with Ukraine for as long as it takes until Ukraine secures its independence.” Sikorski added, “Therefore, the credibility of the United States depends on how this war ends – not just the Trump administration, but the United States.”

Secondly, Sikorski warned Trump that allowing Putin to dominate Ukraine would send a dangerous message to China: “If you allow Putin to vassalize Ukraine, that will send a message to China that you can recover what you regard as a renegade province, and that would have direct consequences for US grand strategy, for the US system of alliances, and possibly for the future of Taiwan.”

Finally, Sikorski lightened the mood, saying with a joke that “we Europeans control the Nobel Peace Prize [so] if you want to earn it the peace has to be fair.” This comment drew laughter from the audience, referencing an unnamed advisor’s statement to CBS News last month, who claimed that Trump had a “hyper fixation” on winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Polish foreign minister also addressed concerns that European leaders might be excluded from peace talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the US. Sikorski pointed out that Trump himself had suggested European troops could be deployed in Ukraine as part of any peace agreement. “We’ll have to be asked to supply them, so sooner or later we’ll have to be involved,” Sikorski remarked.

Sikorski, whose government has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine and its right to determine the terms of any peace deal, continued to elaborate on Trump’s approach to negotiations, saying, “President Trump has a method of operating which the Russians call razvedka boyem, reconnaissance through battle: you push and you see what happens, and then you change your position. [These are] legitimate tactics and we need to respond to them.”

In a final note, Sikorski revealed that French President Emmanuel Macron has called a summit of European leaders in Paris, scheduled for February 17, where the issue of Trump’s approach to peace talks and its implications will be addressed.

By Vafa Guliyeva