Polish PM condemns ‘rise of anti-Americanism’ in EU

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country aims to create stronger ties between Europe and the United States. He believes that without the US, the EU would not survive “hybrid attacks from Russia and the growing influence of China”.

“We are watching with concern the rise of anti-American reflexes in some EU member states. Warsaw will therefore use its good relationship with Washington to strengthen Europe’s alliance with the United States”, Morawiecki said in an interview.

“Donald Trump takes Polish security interests seriously and we’re very happy about that in Warsaw,” he said, referring to a declaration aimed at strenthening the defense cooperation signed in September by US President Donald Trump and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda.

He also expressed his concern over Germany and France not meeting the NATO defense spending target: “If NATO suffers from something, it’s from the lack of engagement of some members,” he said, adding that “France and Germany, among others, have so far not kept the promises they made about spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense. With that, how can NATO do what is expected of it?”

Morawiecki concluded by criticising the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, calling it “a step in the wrong direction”. United States lawmakers last month included sanctions aimed at blocking the project in a must-pass defense bill. “In order to not be dependent on Russia, we must diversify our energy sources”, he said.