Navrotsky declared in Vilnius that Russia poses a constant threat
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that Russia has been a threat to Central and Eastern European countries for hundreds of years, regardless of its form of government. He made this statement on 25 January in Vilnius during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, according to Polskieradio.
Nawrocki recalled that 163 years have passed since the beginning of the January Uprising of 1863–1864, but the main challenge for the region remains unchanged. According to him, the threat came from both Tsarist and Bolshevik Russia, as well as the modern Russian Federation. He stressed that the countries of the region were not mistaken in their assessments of Russian policy, even when part of Western Europe was focused on other internal issues.
The Polish president stressed the importance of regional cooperation in the formats of the Three Seas Initiative, the Visegrad Group and the Lublin Triangle, within which the meeting in Vilnius took place. He expressed hope that the joint voice of Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania would be heard at the international level.
Nawrocki also drew attention to the increase in defence spending in the region. According to him, Poland and Lithuania have increased defence funding to around 5 per cent of GDP in response to security threats from Russia. Separately, he praised Lithuania's initiative to create a new military training ground in the Suwałki Gap area, where, in particular, the 16th Mechanised Division of the Polish Armed Forces will be able to train.
Speaking about Ukraine's European prospects, the Polish president noted that its strategic course towards the West is obvious and beyond doubt. At the same time, he warned against excessive optimism regarding the timing of accession to the European Union. In his opinion, 2027 as a possible date for Ukraine's membership in the EU should be considered an unattainable prospect, as the enlargement process is complex and lengthy.
Nawrocki recalled that Ukraine applied for EU membership in 2022 at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, quickly obtained candidate status, and official negotiations began in 2024. At the same time, according to him, a significant amount of reforms still lie ahead, particularly in the areas of the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
The Polish president also announced that he would attend this year's G20 summit at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. He noted that Poland, as one of the world's twenty largest economies, would be able to represent the interests of the entire region. Separately, Nawrocki announced that Poland will host an international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, which, according to him, will be an important event for businesses from Central and Eastern Europe.
Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, Poland, Karol Nawrocki, Vilnius
