Debate contributions by Michał SZCZERBA

Madam President, I'm sorry. The subject we are discussing is not a theoretical matter for us. For Poland, this is a real issue regarding our preparation. On the night of 9-10 September last year, Poland experienced a massive intrusion of drones into our airspace. I want to make it very clear that unmanned capabilities are used in various tasks and are crucial for our armed forces today. This report rightly highlights the development of unmanned and drone capabilities. And these actions, which we are talking about, obviously require strategic partnerships, both between Member States and key partners. But what the European Union offers are funds, they are also loan funds. That is why we, as Poland, intend to use the full handful of the SAFE instrument and under this instrument we will also have projects on anti-drone systems. So very much for this initiative, Madam President, thank you.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Europe cannot afford weakness, weakness towards our enemies, but also weakness towards our allies. And we must stand firmly on the side of international law, on the side of territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. 2025 has been a very difficult year for human rights in the world, but everything seems to indicate that this year will be the same, just as difficult, and we must stand firm on our values. Authoritarianism is on the rise, and the space for freedom is shrinking dramatically. In Iran, the regime brutally suppresses peaceful protests and threatens protesters with the death penalty. In Venezuela, the Maduro regime has stripped citizens of their right to democratic choice. We must focus not only on business, on oil, but also on the values of free and democratic elections that must take place in this country. There are great challenges on the side of the European Union. We have to meet them. The High Commissioner, the High Representative, as the European Parliament, will support this.

Mr President, thank you very much. It was a very important year. 2025 is presented in these two important reports, but I would like to highlight a few important points. Firstly, the Strategic Partnerships for Security and Defence. This is also a success for the Polish Presidency and cooperation with the High Representative and the Commissioner. Specific agreements. Canada and the UK as well. We are also developing this one with Canada under the SAFE instrument. The second area is, of course, the military Schengen regulatory area. This work begins in the European Parliament. We are pleased that this regulation goes to two committees: the Committee on Security and Defence, as well as the Committee on Transport and Tourism. And the third, very important thing is strength. Europe must build its strength. Donald Tusk said today: "Europe cannot afford to be weak either to its enemies or to its allies".

Mr President, thank you very much. Our common task is to strive for a world where rules apply. The world of fists is the past. A world in which the big ones can illegally seek the territory of smaller countries. I want to say very clearly: The European Union has been, is and will continue to be a partner for the United States. But this partnership must be based on principles, international law and dialogue. I want to say very clearly: The threat of new tariffs on the European Union does not serve transatlantic relations. I also want to make it very clear that diplomacy is needed and peace is needed. I urge you to reduce tensions. At the same time, respecting the demand to increase the security of the Arctic. But it can be done in a non-confrontational way. And the most important thing: The threat is from Russia. We need to help Ukraine. We need to focus on what is really important, existential for Poland, for Europeans.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The High House! Europe should be grateful. Yes, Europe should be grateful, because after the publication of the US security strategy, we know where we stand. It was written in black and white. The primary objective is to build the strength of the European Union in each scenario. The most important thing at the moment is the construction of the European pillar of NATO, but we also need to be prepared for even stronger, even more efficient support for Ukraine. That is why the declaration of the President of the European Commission is very important. We must use the frozen assets of Russia's central bank to work for Ukraine and for European security. This is a moral obligation that needs to be fulfilled. We are also responsible for the defence industry, which should be more integrated, more coherent, and skillfully use all the funds that we have launched this year. We must defend the European sky, we must defend the European institutions, we must defend European society and build its constant resilience. But I want to be very clear: expectations are increasing. Prime Minister Tusk declares this and the leaders of the eastern flank of the European Union also declare it. We need SAFE in the new, second edition, because the needs are gigantic, and we want to respond constructively to them.

Dear President, Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. The case is high-profile. Very serious negotiations are underway in Berlin. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also participates. The NATO Secretary General has left no illusions. We no longer have the comfort of a long-term perspective. We have to act here and now. That is why what we are preparing and presenting in this report is so important, because the risk of a full-scale war is very high. First of all, this report shows this possibility to transfer funds under the Recovery and Resilience Fund. Poland is a good example here, it has taken advantage of these opportunities. We have launched a special fund dedicated to the modernisation of the Polish army, but also to dual-use projects and infrastructure. But what is most important are the needs. These are infrastructure gaps that we can bury together, using the resources we have at our disposal in this and in the future financial perspective.

Mr President, thank you very much. The High House! COP30 in Belém is an important forum where we could – including Poland – express our views on the need to combine climate objectives with consumer protection and energy security. The Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union presented two objectives: competitiveness and security. And it is very important that, as we move away from fossil fuels, which are systemic in nature, we first focus on what is most important. We must immediately, as the European Union, move away from Russian fossil fuel imports by the end of 2027 at the latest. Poland is uniquely aware of this. The ORLEN Group consistently increases the energy security of Poland and the region. Since March 2025, all refineries have been supplied with crude oil from outside Russia. At the end of June, the company completed its last contract for the supply of raw material from the East. We're doing our thing. We appeal to other countries – Hungary, Slovakia – go our way, the Polish way.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Mr. Commissioner, I'm sorry. Poland has the potential to become an important centre of modern defence technologies. EDIP and Save will play a key role in their funding. Increasing investment in security is not only a strengthening of our defence capabilities, but also a huge opportunity for the economy. New jobs, industrial development, innovation based on AI and unmanned technologies. We have negotiated an agreement on EDIP, which allows us to develop our competences and programs, which have become a recognizable brand, but work well in real combat operations in Ukraine. Armatohaubice "Krab", armored vehicles "Borsuk", transporters "Rosomak", anti-aircraft kits "Piorun" - all this allows the Polish industry to look to the future with a raised head. Ahead of us is a historic mission: ensure the security of our countries and our citizens.

Mr President, thank you very much. Russia has no desire to end this war. The situation we have faced today – I mean the attack on a kindergarten in Kharkov – only confirms that Putin does not intend to have any realistic peace talks. He prepares for war and continues the war. I want to say very clearly: it is also Europe's responsibility to conduct this transatlantic dialogue in order to put pressure on Putin's Russia, for whom the war economy may be the Achilles heel. I want to say very clearly: We must also respond to this with our unity and our strength. The programmes we have created for Ukraine – I am talking about SAFE, about EDIP – are really a practical form of cooperation. Ukraine can count on us here in the European Parliament. Long live Ukraine! Let this war end. Let Putin, as a war criminal, be finally judged.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Belarus is not doomed to the nightmare of Lukashenko's dictatorship and Putin's Russia, to collaborate with evil. I have a dream of a free and democratic Belarus, deciding on the basis of the will of society about its future, about integration with Europe, living in friendship with its neighbours. I was one of the few to testify to the truth on the ground in Minsk during the 2020 elections. Today I address my appeal to the European Parliament, to all of you: We can save one life. We can honor the extraordinary man and his struggle for free Belarus and free speech. This is Andrzej Poczobut, a steadfast and uncompromising Pole and citizen of Belarus, a journalist, a political prisoner fighting for historical truth and the right to be a Pole. The Sakharov Prize has great power. Let Andrzej Poczobut be an inspiration for the whole of Europe. ‘Go upright among those who are on their knees, with their backs turned and to the dust.’

Madam President, I'm sorry. A key decision on Ukraine is coming. I call on the European Council to take bold action on the frozen Russian state assets. Ukraine needs them today. The Commission is ready. And this is the question, Commissioner: Is the Commission ready to prepare a legal proposal on the use of assets to finance the loan to Ukraine? The release of these €140 billion will allow the defence to be financed over the next two or three years. The historical responsibility lies with Belgium, the country where Euroclear is based. This is no time for half-measures. We've been discussing legal issues for too long. This is an unprecedented but necessary step to be taken. We can't be idle. Russia has no will to end the war, not only murdering civilians, but also destroying infrastructure, crashing the Ukrainian economy and causing a huge demographic crisis. It's decision time. We are asking for them very much.

Mr President, thank you very much. Enlargement policy is an extremely important tool for consolidating, promoting peace, but also the rule of law. The Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine want to confirm our declarations in action. Let's take that first step. Montenegro is ready. This will signal that enlargement is a living process and that the European institutions are ready for it. Enlargement also has a security dimension. Ukraine is a candidate that is really involved in joint defence projects. Ukraine will be in the SAFE instrument, but it will also be in the EDIP instrument. Yesterday, Parliament's committees approved the outcome of the negotiations, together with a special instrument to support Ukraine. The strategic partnerships of the European Union require a separate debate. There will soon be an opportunity to do so. My report to the Security and Defence Committee is ready. A public hearing will be held on 5 November. It's time for bold decisions.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The agreement between Israel and Hamas is an expected step for stabilization. Its sustainability depends on the responsibility of the parties to the agreement, on the active involvement of the international community as a whole, including the Union. However, they are not the only leading actors in the Middle East. Iran is a regime that not only poses a threat to the region, but also exports terrorism. The sale to Russia of deadly Shahed drones and licenses for their mass production in Russia during the aggression against Ukraine is a direct confirmation of co-responsibility for the crimes committed. In the British parliament, the head of Polish diplomacy Radosław Sikorski participated in the opening of the exhibition presenting the Shahed136 drone used against Ukraine. No one in Europe can doubt Tehran's role in supporting Moscow. Ukraine has the right to destroy Russian-Iranian death factories with long-range cruise missiles. The lives of the Ukrainian civilian population must be saved.

Dear President, Commissioner, I'm sorry. At the last Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, we saw all of them: China and the countries of the axis of evil together, increasingly determined, declaring closer cooperation. Iran has been strengthening its relations with Russia and North Korea for a long time. Termination of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, denial of insight into the nuclear program, failure to submit to controls poses a threat to the world. During the last UN General Assembly, Minister Sikorski spoke and called on the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry to return to talks with the nuclear energy agency. The courageous decision of France, Germany and the United Kingdom to activate the snapback mechanism and restore sanctions is a demonstration of the European Union's firmness. I want to say very clearly: We need to strengthen the transatlantic position. We also need to strengthen the building of the European Union's strategic partnerships for security and defence. That must be our tough stance.