Poland’s defence minister has warned that there is “no NATO without the US” following comments from US President Donald Trump suggesting that Washington may leave the alliance.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz was reacting to Trump’s remarks in an interview in the The Telegraph on April 1. In it, the US leader called NATO a “paper tiger” and slammed European allies for their lack of support of the US during the current war in the Middle East.
The minister, speaking at a conference in southeast Poland, said Trump’s comments were a reflection of “the difficult moment the world is in today” and expressed hope that cooler heads would prevail.
“There is no NATO without the US and it is in our interest that calm prevails. But there is also no US power without NATO,” said Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“We must also withstand the emotional tensions that come with words that one day are one way, and the next day may be different,” added the minister. He stressed that one of the ways to solidify Poland’s alliance with the US is by growing Poland’s defence capacity.
“No one will defend us if we cannot defend ourselves,” he added.
In his speech he also reiterated that Poland will not send its Patriot air defence systems to the Middle East. That was following media speculation earlier that Washington wanted to use them in its war against Iran.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who leads the country’s centre-left government, has repeatedly said Poland would not be engaging in any way in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
However, Marcin Przydacz, chief foreign policy aide to the opposition allied Conservatives (PiS) Polish President Karol Nawrocki, said that other NATO countries should now consider offering support.
“If we, as Europe, do not help the Americans, then it will be difficult to expect American support later,” he warned. “Later, when help is needed in Europe, Trump can say, ‘I needed help, but you gave me the middle finger, so now don’t expect me to help you’.”
Przydacz also told commercial broadcaster Radio Zet that the US should have shown “a minimum of respect: By consulting with its allies before taking action against Iran, especially as Trump subsequently expected help from NATO allies.
“The situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, resulting primarily from decisions by Israel and the United States, could certainly have been consulted with NATO allies in advance,” Przydacz said.
“If our ally across the pond wants European assistance, then a minimum of respect would require consultation on these matters in advance, not when problems arise,” he added.
Przydacz admitted that NATO was currently facing a “crisis”, noting that “there are clear gaps in trust between the United States and Europe, and between Europe and the United States”.
At the end of March CPAC meeting in Dallas, Nawrocki told the gathered US and international participants that NATO was crucial to defence against Russia and supported Trump’s demand for Europe to rearm.
Trump has repeatedly criticised several alliance members for not committing enough money to defence budgets but Poland already allocates close to 5 per cent of its GDP to military spending, the highest in NATO.
Trump has regularly voiced frustration with European allies for refusing to take a more active role in the Middle East conflict, including sending warships to help reopen the key oil shipment route through the Strait of Hormuz and allowing the US to use other allied bases in the region.
Most European allies, though, have distanced themselves from the war and called for de-escalation, citing concerns over the legality of US-Israeli attacks on Tehran and emphasising that NATO is a defensive alliance.
