HELSINKI — Polish President Karol Nawrocki has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to invade other countries, following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday alongside Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki, Nawrocki said Warsaw does not trust Putin’s “good intentions.”
“While waiting, of course, for a long-term peace, permanent peace, which is necessary to our regions, we believe that Vladimir Putin is ready to also invade other countries,” Poland’s newly elected nationalist leader declared.
Poland and Finland, both NATO members sharing borders with Russia, have been on heightened alert since the war in Ukraine began.
Nawrocki stressed that the security landscape in Eastern Europe had fundamentally shifted, noting that Poland is strengthening its military, alliances, and partnerships in response.
He also said US President Donald Trump is “the only leader of the free world” capable of compelling Putin to negotiate. Trump, who hosted Nawrocki in Washington last week, pledged to send additional troops to Poland and staged a military flyover in his honor.
President Stubb echoed the concerns, accusing Putin of employing “delay tactics” to prolong the conflict.
The remarks aligned with comments from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who warned on Monday that Putin’s “imperialist plan would not end with the conquest of Ukraine,” but could extend further into Europe.
