Poland’s president calls for aligning national security strategy with US

ISTANBUL

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has said that Poland should align its national security strategy with a newly released US security roadmap that is sharply critical of the European Union, arguing that Washington’s policy shift requires Warsaw to adapt its own doctrine.

Speaking after a meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, Nawrocki said on Thursday that he had deliberately withheld approval of Poland’s updated National Security Strategy in order to revise it in line with the US’ new approach.

“I am personally happy and consider it a success for my office that we have not signed the National Security Strategy and are working on developing a new strategy,” Nawrocki said, TVP World reported.

“We see that the strategy of our largest security ally, the United States, is now coming to light, so we must also adapt our strategy to the vision of our ally," he added.

The US National Security Strategy, released last week, signals a reduced American role in Europe as Washington shifts its focus to domestic priorities under President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy.

The document states that “the days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over.”

Nawrocki said the shift should not come as a surprise, citing his personal contacts with Trump.

“There are clear guidelines in this security strategy, which say ‘America first,’ which was President Donald Trump’s slogan,” he said.

He added that the US approach was not confrontational toward Central and Eastern European countries, arguing that states such as Poland contribute to regional security and fund their own defense.

In a message addressed to the US, Tusk said: “Europe is your closest ally, not your problem. We have common enemies. This has been the foundation of our security for the last 80 years.”

Earlier, former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the strategy appeared to favor a “weaker Europe,” even as Washington expects the continent to assume greater responsibility for its security.

Nawrocki, however, echoed Trump’s criticism of the bloc, saying: “We are in a time when the European Union is in chaos. We should ask whether it is heading in the right direction today.”