Tusk: “Nobody and nothing will relieve Russia of full responsibility for the war”; Poland and Norway sign a strategic partnership

“Nobody and nothing will relieve Russia of full responsibility for the war in Ukraine. Anyone who tries to introduce symmetry here is making a valuable gift to the aggressor.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said this on Monday, October 12, at the Warsaw Security Forum, according to the Polish government’s announcement. “It is a confrontation of good and evil, in which Russia’s guilt for starting the war cannot be relativised,” he added.

In Tusk’s view, by attacking Ukraine Russia seeks to reshape the security architecture and restore its position in Europe to the pre-1989 level. “Ukraine is fighting for survival, Russia for domination,” he said, arguing that the road to peace runs through effectively containing Russian aggression “and not through concessions to the aggressor”. “Russia is interested neither in a ceasefire nor in de-escalation,” he noted, and announced that at the EU summit in a few days he would go to Brussels “to convince all partners to seriously consider increasing sanctions”.

The remarks come as Washington has promoted an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, with Kyiv complaining that Moscow does not want it. Before the forum Tusk met NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich.

Declaration with Norway

The same day Tusk and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre signed a declaration of strategic partnership in Warsaw, which, according to the related announcement, covers more than 20 areas: security and defence, military mobility, protection of critical infrastructure, energy security, support for Ukraine and closer cooperation between defence industries. The two countries, both neighbours of Russia, put emphasis on NATO’s eastern and northern flanks.

“Europe needs America, America needs Europe,” Tusk said, repeating that sanctions must tighten and not loosen while Moscow strikes Ukrainian energy infrastructure, homes, schools and hospitals. “In no case can the West show weakness towards Putin,” he stressed. Støre called on Europeans to invest in security “in a coherent way”, without overlaps, so that regional defence systems are strengthened.

Poland is the largest recipient of Norwegian grants, with about 25% of the total, while about 130,000 Poles live in Norway and more than 400 Norwegian companies operate in Poland. The security of Polish leaders is topical for another reason too, after the arrest of a suspect over a plot to assassinate Tusk and Kosiniak-Kamysz.