Poland has taken over the presidency of the European Council from Hungary.

The Minister for European Union Affairs of the Polish government, Adam Szłapka, announced that the motto for Warsaw's presidency is "Safety, Europe." Poland intends to focus on seven aspects of security: external, internal, informational, economic, energy, food, and health security.

In recent months, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has repeatedly stated that the European Union must take greater responsibility for ensuring its own security. "We must maintain relations with the USA, but Europe needs to become independent, it must stand on its own feet. The era of fear and uncertainty regarding Russia must come to an end," DW cites Tusk's words prior to a meeting with leaders of Scandinavian and Baltic countries at the end of November. The Polish Prime Minister also asserts that any potential negotiations to end the war in Ukraine should involve not only the USA and Russia but also Ukraine and the European Union.

Commentators note that Poland's approach to the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war differs from that of Hungary. The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, emphasizes the need for peace negotiations without preconditions and effectively denies support to Ukraine. His visit to Moscow, which was not coordinated with the EU, resulted in further disagreements between the EU presidency and most EU member states.

The official opening of the Polish presidency will take place on January 3 with a concert at the National Opera in Warsaw. The President of the European Council, António Costa, will arrive in the Polish capital, along with representatives from Ukraine expected to attend. Over the next six months, more than 300 official events are planned in Poland.