Address at the War Studies University

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk attended the inauguration of the academic year at the War Studies University in Warsaw on Tuesday, 6 October 2026. Speaking before students, instructors, and military commanders, Tusk requested a moment of silence in honor of General Mirosław Różański, an alumnus of the institution and senator who died recently. Tusk recounted a private conversation with Różański held several months earlier concerning the institutional strategy connecting civilian authorities with armed forces leadership. In that exchange, Różański emphasized that military competence at the academy determines whether Poland remains a benchmark of stability and security across Europe. Tusk told the audience that ongoing conflict along Poland's eastern border directly impacts domestic security, citing a drone provocation that occurred one year earlier.

“The war across our border is largely our war.”

Sovereignty and coalition discussions

Tusk delivered a direct message regarding Poland's domestic sovereignty, asserting that foreign powers would not dictate the nation's political leadership or defense posture. The comments followed reports regarding an informal meeting held in March 2026 between Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and US President Donald Trump. That meeting took place during a ceremony honoring Michael Ollis, a US soldier who died shielding a Polish officer during combat operations in Afghanistan. Reporting by journalist Dominika Wielowieyska indicated that Trump encouraged Kosiniak-Kamysz to withdraw the Polish People's Party from the governing coalition and form an alignment with the political right.

“And neither enemy nor ally will decide which path Poles follow, who rules in Poland, or how we build our army.”

Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the reports during a media conference on 5 October 2026, confirming that the informal exchange with Trump had occurred and explaining that he immediately reported the discussion to Tusk.

“I thanked the president, which was my most important message, for the presence of American soldiers in Poland.”

Strategic defense and institutional unity

Tusk described Poland as a regional power whose accelerated investments in military procurement and defense capabilities command respect in capitals including Washington, Brussels, Kyiv, and Moscow. He asserted that national sovereignty requires a well-trained, patriotic military alongside an efficient economy and united public leadership. Addressing lawmakers across the political spectrum, Tusk called for legislative and administrative frameworks ensuring that all Polish state bodies function as a single, coordinated mechanism during national emergencies.

Military education and state management

The prime minister referenced practical defense initiatives under development at the War Studies University, specifically pointing to a research project titled "Directing the state under conditions of escalating armed conflict and war." Tusk urged military planners and students to show courage in intellectual inquiry and discard legacy doctrines that fail to match the tempo of modern warfare. He expressed confidence in all uniformed personnel responsible for monitoring Polish airspace, borders, and domestic order, noting that academic training at the institution directly underpins Poland's deterrent capability against foreign aggression.