Poland warned Trump against a “historic mistake” if he recognizes Russian claims to occupied Ukrainian territories
US President Donald Trump may make a “historic mistake” if Washington recognizes Russian claims to occupied Ukrainian territories within the framework of potential negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine. About this stated Pawel Kowal, head of the Polish Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, in the comments of the Financial Times.
According to Koval, for Poland and the countries of Central Europe, such a concession would mean the crossing of a “red line”, because the legal recognition of Russia’s expanded borders contradicts international law and could undermine stability in the region.
He emphasized the differences between temporary agreements on the cessation of hostilities and the fulfillment of “Russian expectations”, which involve the recognition of Crimea, Donbass or other territories as part of the Russian Federation. In his opinion, such a decision will not only legitimize aggression, but also open the way for the Kremlin to further imperial expansion.
Koval reminded that after the collapse of the USSR, Moscow officially recognized Ukrainian borders, including Crimea and Donbass, and this is the basic principle of international law. Guarantees of the inviolability of borders, he noted, are one of the key factors of peace in Central Europe, which confirms the historical experience of the region.
At the same time, the Polish politician expressed the hope that Trump will ultimately not go for de jure recognition of Russian control over Ukrainian territory and understands the threat posed by Putin’s regime.
Separately, Koval noted that the USA will not give up its economic participation in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. Investments, in his opinion, will be possible only if serious security guarantees are provided by Washington, which Kyiv and its allies expect.
“It’s easy for politicians to separate political, economic, and military guarantees, but when it comes to real money, real American guarantees are needed.” he emphasized.
It will be recalled that the information that Trump is allegedly considering the possibility of recognizing Crimea as Russian appeared in the Western media recently. In response to this, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the Crimean issue was never raised in conversations with Trump. At the same time, he previously admitted that territorial issues could become the topic of future peace talks.
