Polish Prime Minister Tusk sees Russia's response to ceasefire proposal as unpromising

According to the Guardian, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed that the early signals from Russia regarding the U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire have been "as expected … , to put it mildly, unsatisfactory, not to say cryptic and mysterious." The outlet reports that Tusk stated, "In truth, no one really knows if Russia accepts the early proposal … or will it keep coming up with conditions which are not acceptable for other partners."

Tusk made these remarks after returning from talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, where the two discussed Turkey's potential role in future security guarantees for Ukraine. Tusk further emphasized that, following the recent discussions in Saudi Arabia, there is no longer any doubt about who the aggressor is, and who truly seeks peace versus those who wish to continue the conflict.

While acknowledging the complexity of the situation, Tusk said he remained hopeful that diplomatic efforts from the US, Ukraine, and Europe would eventually lead to an end to the war.

The outlet also notes Tusk's comments on Polish President Andrzej Duda's call for the U.S. to transfer nuclear weapons to Poland as a deterrent. Duda had argued in an interview with the Financial Times that NATO infrastructure should be moved east, reflecting the eastward expansion of NATO since 1999. Tusk, however, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of public appeals through the media, preferring such requests to be made when there is confidence that they will be properly considered.

When asked if Duda's proposal had been consulted with the Polish government, Tusk declined to provide further comment.