Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The PM has dealed with the Russian leader for nearly two decades – and he believes, Putin’s way of thinking can be boiled down to two questions.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that lasting peace in Ukraine remains impossible as long as “something changes” in Russia.
He did not specifiy excactly what had to change, but it is being interpreted as hinting that nothing will change, as long Vladimir Putin is in control of Russia.
Tusk also described the war in Ukraine as one that could drag on indefinitely, warning the conflict risks turning into a “permanent forever war” unless Russia undergoes major internal change.
“I have no doubts Ukraine will survive as an independent state,” he said to The Sunday Times, adding that the real question now is “how many victims we will see.”
Putin’s grip on power
Tusk, a veteran of European politics and a staunch transatlantic ally, dismissed the notion that Putin possesses any special charisma or strategic brilliance.
He described Putin as an extremely simple and ordinary person, stating that conversations with the Russian leader are in no way interesting.
Putin’s simple way of thinking, Tusk says, can be boiled down to two questions: Who has more power? And who is ready to use it against others?
Lessons from the past
Reflecting on nearly two decades of interactions with Putin, Tusk recalled how several Western leaders had misjudged the Russian president’s character.
Among them, he mentioned former US President George W. Bush, who once said he saw Putin’s “straightforward and trustworthy” soul, and Germany’s former chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who called him a “flawless democrat.”
For Tusk, such assessments illustrate the West’s historic underestimation of Moscow’s ambitions. His message now is clear: Europe must not repeat those mistakes.
Trouble mounting for Russia’s economy
The Polish leader said Russia’s economic situation is deteriorating, citing recent US sanctions targeting its oil sector.
Despite that, he warned that Moscow retains a key advantage over Europe — its willingness to endure and fight.
“They are ready to fight … in wartime, this is absolutely the crucial question,” he told The Sunday Times.
Europe’s shifting future
Tusk argued that Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and NATO is essential for the stability of the continent.
While acknowledging some domestic unease in Poland about economic competition and security risks, he insisted that bringing Ukraine closer would reshape Eastern Europe’s future.
He envisioned a future Europe, where the fatalism of assuming nations like Poland and Ukraine as smaller nations, that must be victims of Russia or another nation from time to time.
Instead, Tusk hopes that the next five to seven years will see Poland emerge as a regional leader alongside a secure and strong Ukraine.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation
