Minsk [Belarus], September 1 (ANI): European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived at the Polish-Belarusian border on Sunday, where they discussed defense and security, among other issues, according to EuroNews.
The EC chief assured Tusk and the Polish people of “Europe’s full solidarity with Poland as a frontline state,” and emphasized the importance of maintaining pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Putin has not changed and will not change. He is a predator,” von der Leyen said, adding that “he can only be kept in check through strong deterrence,” EuroNews reported.
Von der Leyen’s visit to Poland is part of her four-day tour of European states bordering Russia or its ally Belarus, aimed at reinforcing solidarity with border nations and supporting the growth of Europe’s defense industry.
The meeting between Tusk and von der Leyen coincided with the 45th anniversary of the August Agreements, a historic deal between the communist government and striking workers that paved the way for the creation of the Solidarity Trade Union. The union became the first independent trade union in the Eastern Bloc and played a pivotal role in the collapse of communism in Europe, according to EuroNews.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit on Monday, said the West’s ongoing attempts to draw Kyiv into NATO remain one of the main causes of the conflict in Ukraine.
He argued that the crisis was largely triggered by the coup d’état in Kyiv in 2014, which he claimed was provoked by the West, as reported by Tass. “The second reason for the crisis is the West’s constant attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO. As we have repeatedly emphasized, this poses a direct threat to Russia’s security,” Putin said.
According to the Russian president, as a result of the 2014 coup, “the political leadership of the country that did not support Ukraine’s accession to NATO was removed,” Tass reported. (ANI)
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