Lech Walesa Condemns Trump's Treatment of Zelensky as Similar to Communist Interrogation

Image credits: Photograph: Jacques Langevin/AP

Former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa has written a letter to Donald Trump, condemning the US president's treatment of Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine. Walesa, who led the pro-democracy Solidarity movement that helped bring about the collapse of communism in Poland, expressed "horror and distaste" at Trump's argument with Zelensky in the White House. The letter, co-signed by 38 other former political prisoners of Poland's communist regime, stated that the atmosphere in the Oval Office during the conversation reminded them of the one they remembered well from interrogations by the Security Service and from courtrooms in communist courts.

The signatories of the letter, including Adam Michnik, Bogdan Lis, Seweryn Blumsztajn, and Władysław Frasyniuk, recalled the vital role that US President Ronald Reagan played in supporting the anti-communist opposition and thereby bringing about the collapse of the Soviet Union. They noted that the history of the 20th century shows that every time the United States wanted to maintain distance from democratic values and its European allies, it ended up threatening itself. The letter also stated that the US should honor the guarantees it and the United Kingdom gave in the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, which explicitly stipulates a commitment to defend the inviolability of Ukraine's borders.

Walesa's condemnation of Trump's treatment of Zelensky has been seen as a significant development in the ongoing crisis between the US and Ukraine. The US embassy in Warsaw told Reuters that questions on the letter should be directed to the White House press office, which did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The incident has sparked a wider debate about the role of the US in supporting democratic values and its European allies, with some arguing that Trump's actions have undermined the credibility of the US as a global leader. Others have pointed out that the US has a long history of supporting democracy and freedom around the world, and that Trump's actions are a departure from this tradition.

The situation has also been complicated by the fact that Poland has been a close ally of Ukraine, including under both the former Law and Justice (PiS) government and the current ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. However, PiS has long enjoyed close relations with Trump, and some PiS figures have presented a tougher position towards Ukraine, often echoing the US president's rhetoric. Walesa, who is no longer an active politician, is aligned with Tusk's coalition, which has traditionally been less friendly towards Trump and which has rallied to support Zelensky after Friday's events at the White House.

Here is a list of key points from the letter: * The atmosphere in the Oval Office during the conversation between Trump and Zelensky reminded the signatories of the one they remembered well from interrogations by the Security Service and from courtrooms in communist courts. * The US should honor the guarantees it and the United Kingdom gave in the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, which explicitly stipulates a commitment to defend the inviolability of Ukraine's borders. * The history of the 20th century shows that every time the United States wanted to maintain distance from democratic values and its European allies, it ended up threatening itself. * The signatories consider Trump's expectations regarding the showing of gratitude for the material assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine to be offensive. * Gratitude should be given to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed blood in defense of the values of the free world.