Lech Walesa, the former Polish president and Solidarity trade union leader, has expressed “horror” at U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent argument with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The Nobel Peace Prize-winner posted a letter on Facebook, signed by 39 Polish former political prisoners, condemning Trump’s remarks.
During a live broadcast meeting on Friday, Trump accused Zelenskiy of being ungrateful for U.S. aid, showing disrespect to his country, and risking World War Three. This has cast doubt on Washington’s ongoing support for Ukraine in its three-year-long war with Russia.
“We watched your conversation with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy with horror and distaste,” the letter stated. It criticized Trump’s expectations of respect and gratitude for U.S. assistance, emphasizing that gratitude should be directed towards the heroic Ukrainian soldiers defending the values of the free world.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s harsh treatment of Zelenskiy during the meeting has strained relations with Kyiv’s most important wartime ally. The Ukrainian leader was reportedly told to leave the meeting by a U.S. official.
Walesa’s letter compared the atmosphere of the meeting to “interrogations by the Security Service and… in communist courts.” It also called on the United States to honor the security guarantees given to Ukraine in 1994 after the break-up of the Soviet Union, stating that these guarantees are unconditional and should not be treated as an economic exchange.
The U.S. embassy in Warsaw has not yet responded to requests for comment. Poland’s current president, Andrzej Duda, urged Zelenskiy to return to negotiations with the U.S. on Saturday.