According to the German mass-selling newspaper Bild, Polish President Andrzej Duda lambasted the leaders of France and Germany for their phone contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin, comparing them to talks with Adolf Hitler during World War II.
Since Russia launched a devastating invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Macron have both held one-on-one phone calls with Putin, with Macron in particular infuriating Ukrainians by saying Russia must not be “humiliated” in order to preserve the possibility of a diplomatic solution.
In an interview with Bild that was initially published on its YouTube channel late Wednesday, Duda stated that such debates simply serve to legitimize an unlawful conflict in Ukraine.
“Did anyone speak like this with Adolf Hitler during World War Two?” Duda said. “Did anyone say that Adolf Hitler must save face? That we should proceed in such a way that it is not humiliating for Adolf Hitler? I have not heard such voices.”
The battle in Ukraine, which Moscow has defined as a “special military operation” to eliminate perceived threats to national security, has leveled cities, killed thousands of civilians, and prompted more than 7 million people to flee the country.
Ukraine and its Western allies claim Russia is conducting a pre-emptive attack to seize territory.
According to Macron’s Elysee Palace, in a joint call with Putin on May 28, Scholz and Macron pushed him to free the 2,500 Ukrainian combatants seized at Mariupol’s Azovstal steel facility and to communicate directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Italy and Hungary have encouraged the European Union to publicly call for a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace negotiations with Russia, putting them at odds with other EU members such as Poland, which is determined to adopt a strong position with Moscow.
Last month, Zelenskiy slammed Western ideas that Kyiv give up land and make concessions to end the war, comparing the notion to attempts to placate Nazi Germany in the run-up to World War II.
