Polish Chilly Battle hero Lech Wałęsa, who helped topple his Communist authorities in 1989, and dozens of former Polish political prisoners rebuked President Donald Trump on Monday for berating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Trump and Zelenskyy had been set to signal an settlement Friday to permit U.S. entry to Ukrainian uncommon minerals however that didn’t occur after a contentious televised Oval Workplace assembly through which Trump barked at Zelenskyy for not being “thankful” sufficient.
Wałęsa and 38 of his countrymen wrote in a letter on Fb that Trump’s expectation was “insulting” and that any present gratitude needs to be reserved for “the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free world” — not for Trump.
“They have been dying on the frontline for more than 11 years in the name of these values and independence of their Homeland, which was attacked by [Vladimir] Putin’s Russia,” a translation of the Polish letter continued.
Wałęsa, who led a nationwide Solidarity motion on the top of the Chilly Battle and helped topple Poland’s Communist authorities, added within the letter Monday: “We do not understand how the leader of a country that is the symbol of the free world cannot see it.”
Those that signed the letter famous in it that they watched Friday’s televised assembly “with fear and distaste” because the hostile “atmosphere” within the Oval Workplace reminded them of “Security Service interrogations” and “Communist courts” the place unflinching authorities warned “they hold all the cards.”
“They deprived us of freedom and civil rights because we did not agree to cooperate with the authorities and did not show them gratitude,” the Polish letter defined. “We are shocked that you treated President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a similar way.”
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Put up/Getty Photographs
Leaders around the globe reacted in horror on the method Trump admonished Zelenskyy, who had requested Friday for U.S. help in safety in opposition to Russia — and reminded the U.S. president that Putin has violated earlier ceasefire agreements with Ukraine.
“You don’t have the cards right now!” Trump yelled at Zelenskyy throughout their assembly.
The blowup got here after greater than 40 minutes of cordial dialog, after which level Trump argued Zelenskyy had selfishly dismissed prior peace offers and wasted U.S. taxpayer {dollars} on persevering with the battle, and shouted, “You’re gambling with World War III!”
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A former shipyard employee in Gdansk, Wałęsa was imprisoned in 1981 for 11 months after founding the pro-democracy Solidarity motion. Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. In 1989, he negotiated with the Russia-backed authorities for Poland to carry elections — and shepherded Poland right into a democracy throughout his presidency from 1990 to 1995.
