Poland names condition for Trump's attention to EU opinion on Ukraine

US President Donald Trump will listen to the opinion of European countries on Ukraine if they start spending more on their own security. This was stated by Polish National Defense Minister Vladislav Kosiniak-Kamysz in an interview with Bloomberg on Saturday, January 25.

"The recipe is simple: more spending on defense, more investment in the military industry. Only then will Europe be able to truly sit down at the negotiating table," the publication quotes him as saying.

According to the politician, increased defense spending will help European countries create an image of a trustworthy ally for the United States, as well as spur their domestic economic development by investing in arms production.

However, Kosiniak-Kamysh pointed out, this would require a different level of communication and a "radical shift" in the attitude of state leaders toward financing military investments. According to him, this could lead to changes not only in the internal politics of the European Union, but also in NATO.

The head of Poland's Defense Ministry also suggested that part of the funds allocated for recovery from the coronavirus pandemic should be used to develop the arms industry.

"If we could afford to borrow to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we should afford new expenditures to defend ourselves," he said.

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Earlier, on Jan. 21, Trump said he would push NATO member states to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. He also noted that the United States spent $200 million more on Ukraine than other members of the alliance, so they will have to "level the playing field."

In addition, Trump suspended US development aid to other countries for 90 days. As a justification for the measure, it is stated that Washington's "foreign aid industry" does not meet the interests of the state, and also serves to destabilize the world.

In turn, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called ending the conflict in Ukraine a priority for Trump. According to him, "part of the preparatory work" has begun. He specified that both sides of the conflict should be ready for compromise.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.