Poland’s President Duda plays whisperer to turn Donald Trump against Russia

But jokes aside, Duda’s meeting coincided with a change in Trump and Republican policy on aid to Ukraine.

Within a day of the meeting, Trump, who had previously spoken out in favor of Putin Blamed Ukraine for its political crisis, declared on his social media platforms: “As everyone agrees, Ukrainian survival and strength should be far more important to Europe than to us, but it is also important to us! Head to Europe!”

my friend duda

Trump loves nothing more than having his ego stroked, and PiS and Duda have plenty of practice at betraying the Donald.

PiS politicians are regular speakers at conservative gatherings in the US; Duda was one of the only international holdouts to congratulate Joe Biden for winning the 2020 election, and the PiS government in 2018. There was even consideration of naming a base in Poland “Fort Trump”. To entice the White House to deploy US troops to Poland.

Six months after Russia’s invasion, Duda and Zelensky walked into Kiev for a press conference. Alexey Furman/Getty Images

Along with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Poland’s PiS has long been part of Trump’s universe of favorite European parties. The presumptive Republican nominee professed his love for Duda when the two met in New York.

,[Duda] “My friend and we have had four wonderful years together and we might have to do it again.” Trump said, “We are behind Poland in every way… I have a lot of respect for this country, and I have a lot of respect for the president.”