Poland’s Tusk says EU vote crucial for keeping war outside the bloc

Thousands of supporters of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk gathered in the capital Warsaw on Tuesday ahead of European elections that the head of
government says are crucial for Poland’s security as it faces increased tensions on its eastern border.
With war raging in Ukraine and a migrant crisis on the Belarus border, Tusk has framed the June 9 vote in Poland as a choice between a safe future in a country at the heart of the European Union (EU) or a more perilous one if the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, known for its conflicts with Brussels, wins.
“We are all focused every day … on making Poland strong, making Europe strong, Poles being united and Europe being united, because this is the only way to avoid the drama of war here on our lands,” Tusk told the crowd in Warsaw’s Castle Square.
The rally took place on the 35th anniversary of Poland’s first postwar democratic election.