Poland’s prime minister urges Europe to persuade Trump that Russia is unreliable

WARSAW/ISTANBUL

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged Europe on Wednesday to convince US President Donald Trump that Russia is untrustworthy as he prepares to meet later this week with his Russian counterpart at a summit in Alaska.

"It's the most important thing that Europe convinces Donald Trump that one can't trust Russia," said Tusk.

European leaders have expressed guarded optimism following a virtual meeting with Trump on Wednesday ahead of his scheduled talks in the US state with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine.

Tusk said in a press statement following the Germany-hosted online meeting on Ukraine that they discussed how they could positively influence Trump’s meeting with Putin.

He noted that the Aug. 15 meeting is unlikely to reach a solution but could be a first step toward relatively quick decisions on a ceasefire.

He said that Poland’s stance serves as a guide for other countries on how negotiations on Ukraine should be conducted, stressing that the key point is that Russia must not be seen as having the right to determine the borders of its neighboring countries.

Tusk warned against Russia’s attempt to bring NATO countries’ security into the negotiations and to reduce the presence of allied troops, including those in Poland.

Arguing that Russia must be forced to allow a just peace in Ukraine, he said no one should impose conditions that would effectively amount to Ukraine’s surrender.

Trump reportedly told European leaders that his aim for the summit was to secure a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv.

He described his virtual meeting with European leaders as “a ten” and warned that Russia would face “very severe” consequences if it did not end its war in Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized that the leaders had “made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table as soon as follow-up meetings take place.”