Kathrine Frich
Questions continue to swirl over Donald Trump’s stance toward Vladimir Putin.
Some critics view the former US president’s tone toward Moscow as overly conciliatory. Others argue it may be part of a broader strategic calculation.
One of the figures most closely associated with the end of the Cold War has now weighed in.
Former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa offered a strikingly mixed assessment of Trump’s approach to Russia in an interview with AFP.
Walesa, 82, co-founded the Solidarity trade union movement, whose struggle against communist rule helped bring down the Iron Curtain.
“Traitor” or strategist?
Speaking ahead of the invasion anniversary, Walesa acknowledged that Trump’s posture toward Putin has sparked anger among Ukraine’s supporters.
“On the surface, today, he seems to be Russia’s lackey, a traitor outright. It’s a way of looking at things,” Walesa said.
But he added that there may be another interpretation.
According to Walesa, Trump could be “an extremely intelligent political leader” who understands the risks of cornering the Kremlin.
Nuclear gamble
Walesa argued that if Washington were to openly join what he called an “anti-Putin chorus,” the Russian president might feel pushed toward extreme measures.
“He knows that if the United States were to join the anti-Putin chorus, (Vladimir) Putin would have no choice and could resort to atomic weapons,” Walesa said.
“Because Putin is irresponsible,” he added.
Describing the situation as a “very cunning, very intelligent game,” Walesa suggested that avoiding direct confrontation may be an attempt to prevent nuclear escalation.
Two ways to see it
Walesa also speculated that Trump’s stance may be aimed at forcing Europe to strengthen its own defenses.
Thus, he said, there are “two ways of looking at things”: “traitor or extremely intelligent man.”
“To this day, I still don’t know which one applies to Trump,” Walesa concluded.
Sources: AFP, Digi24.
