“Poland will support Ukraine as it has done so far: organizationally, in accordance with our financial capabilities, in terms of humanitarian and military aid,” Tusk told reporters before he boarded a plane to Paris to take part in an emergency meeting of European leaders at the Elysee Palace.
“We do not plan to send Polish soldiers to the territory of Ukraine. We will ... give logistical and political support to the countries that will possibly want to provide such guarantees in the future, such physical guarantees.”
Tusk also warned against questioning the alliance between European nations and the United States, after many leaders were blindsided by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would do a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
“Poland ... can and must play a positive role,” Tusk said. “By this, I mean ensuring the closest possible cooperation between Poland, Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, [and] European countries such as Great Britain and Norway.
“There can be no place for ‘either/or’—the European Union or the United States.”
He went on to say that this was not the time to be wondering about building alternatives to the NATO alliance and said the nations offering security guarantees to the Ukrainians must be sure they are capable of backing up their words with actions.
“We must show that we are capable of much greater investment in our defense capabilities,” he said. “I will ask the prime ministers if they are ready to take decisions for real.”
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer became the first European leader to say he was ready to put peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.
Berlin said it would be prepared to contribute ground troops, if the framework for such a move is given, a spokesperson for the German Defense Ministry said on Monday.
“If the framework is given, Germany will not shy away,” the spokesperson told a press conference, responding to a question about the possibility of German ground troops in Ukraine.
However, the spokesperson added that it was too soon to talk about Germany’s exact contribution.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is attending the meeting in Paris ahead of his country heading to the polls on Feb. 23.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who will not be at the meeting in Paris, told Reuters: “There needs to be a very clear mandate for those forces and I don’t think we can see that until we have come further in those negotiations.
“But Sweden, we are normally a part of strengthening security in our part of the world, so I foresee us to be a part of that this time as well.”
On Monday afternoon, the leaders of France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the European Union will discuss how to deal with Europe’s security going forward at the presidential palace in Paris.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also be at the meeting.
German and French officials have both said no firm decisions are expected to emerge beyond a show of unity by the leaders.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the meeting over the weekend so the continent’s leaders could re-group following a whirlwind week of diplomacy from the Trump White House.
As the Europeans gathered, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of expected talks with Russian officials aimed at ending the war.
