Duda says Trump best chance for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine

Duda said this in an interview with Sky News, according to Ukrinform.

In his opinion, Ukraine’s only chance of peace lies with the U.S. leader, as he is the one who holds enough influence to bring the war to a halt. At the same time, the Polish leader declined to comment on the competence of Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Putting the kybosh on Nord Stream 2 in his first term and thwarting Putin’s energy ambitions via his state-owned energy giant Gazprom are evidence enough that Trump “knows where to hit so it hurts,” Duda said.

Given the failures of Europe’s leaders to negotiate peace through the Minsk accords, he believes the onus now falls on Trump.

“If anyone is able to force the end of Russia’s war, it is most likely only the President of the United States. The question is whether he will be determined enough to do that in a way — because it is also very important here in Europe being a neighbor of Russian aggression against Ukraine — that the peace is fair and lasting,” Duda said.

He also commented on reports that the U.S. is handing over command of the Rzeszow-Jasionka aid hub for Ukraine to NATO allies, in line with an Alliance decision.

“We were warned that the change was planned. I have not received any information from [the U.S.] about decreasing the number of American soldiers. Quite the opposite,” Duda said.

He referred back to talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in February, saying: “We discussed strengthening the American presence in Poland, and I mentioned the idea of creating a huge base of U.S. troops. Then, we called it Fort Trump. I do still hope that this idea will be implemented.”

Duda also described Trump’s tariff policy as “shock therapy,” a negotiating tactic from a man “of huge business and commercial success” that he now brings to the arena of politics.

According to Duda, that may not be what European politicians are used to, but Trump is answerable to the U.S. taxpayer and not to his European counterparts, and allies must “stay calm” in the face of this new transatlantic modus operandi.

Photo: KPRP