As I’ve thought about these issues, I’ve reflected on my own journey. Some 30 years ago, together with Lech Walesa and other Solidarity activists, I welcomed American presidents in the Gdansk shipyard to celebrate the fall of Communism in Poland. When I was Poland’s prime minister, from 2007 to 2014, I traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to meet American and Polish soldiers. And just a few days ago, with family and friends, I visited American cemeteries and Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. It is in such places that my mind and heart both tell me that there is no good alternative to trans-Atlantic unity. Some people will accuse me of sentimentalism. No, I will respond, this is an awareness of history and common sense.
Still, it’s clear that something may have changed. As I said a few weeks ago, Europe should, in a way, be grateful to President Trump. His decisions have made us realize that we need to depend on one another. Europe must now do everything in its power to protect the trans-Atlantic bond, in spite of today’s mood. But at the same time we must be prepared for scenarios in which we will have to act on our own. To do this, we will need more political unity and determination.
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