Tusk: Poland will 'demand full mobilization' of West to help Ukraine

Newly elected Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Dec. 12 that Poland will “loudly and decisively demand the full mobilization of the free world, the Western world, to help Ukraine in this war.”

Tusk was elected as Poland's prime minister following a vote in the country's parliament, the Sejm, on Dec. 11.

The vote came after Mateusz Morawiecki, who was prime minister since 2017 as a member of the then ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, lost a vote of confidence earlier on Dec. 11, ending political wrangling in Poland's government that has followed the Oct. 15 parliamentary election.

Poland has been roundly supportive of Ukraine across the political spectrum, including from PiS, though tensions have risen in recent months following diplomatic spats relating to trade issues.

Tusk's election signaled an end to eight years of PiS rule, in which Poland has been criticized for drifting towards an illiberal democracy and increasingly saw tensions rise with the EU.

Tusk has promised to reverse this trend, seeking to end Poland's isolation in the EU while reaffirming the country's commitment to Ukraine.

Anger and disappointment in endless lines of Ukrainian trucks at Polish border

As Polish haulers’ blockade of border checkpoints with Ukraine stretches into its second month, thousands of Ukrainian truckers remain stranded in huge lines waiting to cross into their homeland. They say they’re losing patience. Though the estimated waiting time has somewhat dropped since the star…

The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova