Polish President Karol Nawrocki at Davos discusses European unity, transatlantic relations, and Russian threat.
Debate: Can Europe Defend Itself?
On Wednesday morning in Davos, a debate titled “Can Europe defend itself?” began, featuring Polish President Karol Nawrocki, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño, and Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson.
The discussion opened with Greenland and President Donald Trump’s claims to the territory, which belongs to Denmark. Moderator Sarah Kelly asked Nawrocki if he sees this as a moment for European unity.
European Unity and Transatlantic Relations
“There is such a necessity. But there is also a need to build good transatlantic relations,” replied Karol Nawrocki. “We know how many mistakes Europe made before and after 2022. Donald Trump tried to convince European partners that we must unite. His voice is very important for strategic, financial, and geopolitical reasons. Of course, I hope this issue will be resolved diplomatically,” he stated.
Poland’s Position on Security
Polish President emphasized that the United States is “Poland’s most important bilateral ally.” “NATO is the greatest alliance of the 20th century. I agree with Secretary Rutte. On Greenland, there are Chinese and Russian interests. Poland has faced the Russian threat for two centuries, we understand this as a border country,” explained Nawrocki.
Nawrocki mentioned that 10,000 US soldiers are stationed in Poland. “These are also historically conditioned relations. I think we should resolve this issue on a diplomatic level. Denmark’s voice is very important here. I see Greenland as a strategic matter,” he added.
Finland’s Stance on NATO
Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized that this is a time to strengthen the North Atlantic Alliance. “This is really NATO 3.0. As for the Arctic, we have the largest forces with military experience in arctic conditions. We doubled the length of our eastern flank when joining NATO,” he explained.
Trump’s Davos Visit
US President Donald Trump is en route to Davos, arriving in Switzerland with a delay due to an “electrical failure” in his aircraft, which forced it to return to base. The American leader transferred to another plane. Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech starting at 14:30. On Thursday, he wants to meet with world leaders he invited to participate in the Peace Council.
