Trump's call to Putin was a mistake, Polish FM says
U.S. President Donald Trump's phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin was a mistake, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15.
Trump spoke to Putin in a phone call on Feb. 12, holding a separate phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky the same day. The U.S. President has vowed to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"We have no doubt that the threat to Europe is Vladimir Putin's Russia, Trump's phone call to Putin was a mistake," Sikorski said.
"There is nothing more dangerous than an empty guarantee," the Foreign Minister said, adding that "Ukraine already has (security) guarantees that turned out to be empty."
Sikorski called for the West to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia's aggression as long as it wants to fight back. Russia is waging a "classic colonial war" against Ukraine, the official added.
Europe is facing a crisis because it "has used the peace dividend for too long," The Foreign Minister said.
"If Putin succeeds in conquering Ukraine, it will send a signal to China… This will have direct consequences for the American strategy and alliance system, and perhaps for the future of Taiwan," Sikorski said.
The Munich Security Conference is ongoing from Feb. 14-16, with numerous Western officials and leaders present, including Zelensky.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
