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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki have offered a lukewarm response to Donald Trump’s peace plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine – one of whose 28 points relates specifically to Poland.
The plan, which has been widely leaked but not yet officially published, foresees Ukraine handing over eastern territories, including areas it currently controls, to Russia; reducing the size of its armed forces; and agreeing not to join NATO.
In return, Kyiv would receive security guarantees from the US and NATO (with European fighter jets stationed in Poland); would remain eligible for European Union membership; and would receive support in rebuilding, including with the use of frozen Russian assets.
NEW: Read Trump's full 28-point Ukraine-Russia peace plan, which would force Kyiv to give up additional territory in the east, cap the size of its military, and agree to never join NATO https://t.co/wDLbiyfG3y
— Axios (@axios) November 20, 2025
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters – and Moscow’s harshest critics – since Russia’s full-scale invasion of 2022. And on Friday, its leaders reacted negatively to the US peace plan.
“Poles will make decisions concerning Poland,” wrote Tusk, in a presumed reference to the part of the plan requiring European aircraft to be stationed in Poland. “Nothing about us without us.”
“In the matter of peace, all negotiations should be conducted with Ukraine’s participation,” he added, repeating Warsaw’s longstanding position that any peace deal cannot be negotiated directly between the US and Russia without Ukraine’s involvement.
Decyzje dotyczące Polski podejmować będą Polacy. Nic o nas bez nas. W sprawie pokoju wszelkie negocjacje powinny być prowadzone z udziałem Ukrainy.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) November 21, 2025
While Tusk and figures from his centrist ruling Civic Coalition (KO) have often been critical of Trump, right-wing President Nawrocki has closely aligned himself with his US counterpart, visiting him twice in the White House this year.
However, late on Friday, Nawrocki also reacted with apparent scepticism to news of the peace plan, warning that it “must take into account the fact that Russia is a country that does not honour agreements”.
“Each and every peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine started by Russia must be accepted in Kyiv,” wrote Nawrocki, echoing Tusk, despite the pair being domestic opponents.
“It is Ukraine that has fallen victim to Putin’s criminal aggression, and it is the Ukrainians, with the support of the United States and the EU countries, who must have the decisive voice in peace talks,” he added. “The price of peace cannot in any way be the achievement of strategic goals by the aggressor.”
Pojawiające się propozycje zakończenia rosyjskiej wojny przeciw Ukrainie muszą uwzględniać fakt, że Rosja jest państwem niedotrzymującym umów.
Każdy plan pokojowy zmierzający do zakończenia wywołanej przez Federację Rosyjską wojny na Ukrainie musi zostać zaakceptowany w Kijowie.…
— Karol Nawrocki (@NawrockiKn) November 21, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also addressed the peace plan on Friday during an address to the nation.
He warned that “now is one of the most difficult moments of our history”, with Ukraine potentially “facing a very difficult choice: either losing dignity or risk losing a major partner, either 28 difficult points or an extremely harsh winter”.
However, Zelensky pledged to “work calmly with America and all our partners…[to] seek constructive solutions”, reports Reuters.
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: KPRM (under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
