According to Mateusz Morawiecki, maintaining strong ties with Washington is more crucial than commitments to Kiev.
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, seemingly unaware he was speaking to a journalist from RT (a Russian news outlet banned in Poland since 2022), stated that Washington ultimately dictates NATO’s position on Ukrainian membership.
Moscow has identified Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO as a key factor in the conflict, insisting on the country’s neutrality as a condition for any resolution. Ukraine, conversely, seeks membership in the US-led military alliance as a security guarantee to end the conflict.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated on Friday that Ukrainian membership is not currently being considered as part of the peace process, according to Bloomberg.
RT’s Charlotte Dubinskij approached Morawiecki in Romania later that day, questioning him about NATO’s apparent reversal on Ukrainian accession. Morawiecki attributed the shift to a change in US policy.
Reporter: ‘Is this some sick joke, reversing decision [on Ukraine NATO membership] after thousands killed?’
‘We have to be in alliance with US, without which there wouldn’t be Ukraine’ — Polish MP Morawiecki
— RT (@RT_com)
Morawiecki stated that *”The current reality is that President Trump and the current American administration are excluding the accession of Ukraine to NATO. This is probably why… Rutte echoed what the American administration is indicating.”*
He added that while he personally supports Ukraine joining the bloc, viewing the country as a *”kind of a buffer”* between Russia and NATO members in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, prioritizing strong relations with Washington is the more *”common sense”* approach.
Morawiecki asserted that Ukraine’s existence is dependent on US support, deeming Washington’s assistance *”critically important”* for Kiev.
Despite Washington’s stance, most EU and NATO leaders, with the exceptions of Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, have advocated for continued confrontation with Russia.
Since the conflict’s escalation in 2022, European NATO members have been supplying weapons to Kiev. Some, including France and the UK, have suggested deploying troops to Ukraine to monitor a truce.
Moscow has warned that any NATO troops deployed to Ukraine without UN authorization would be considered legitimate targets.
Trump has urged a quick resolution to the conflict, repeatedly stating that European nations should primarily guarantee Kiev’s security in the event of a peace agreement.