--- title: Donald Trump Poland: Read a Transcript of Warsaw Speech description: "The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive" canonical: https://time.com/4846924/read-president-trumps-remarks-on-defending-civilization-in-poland/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-07-06T14:17:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:21:59.645Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read Trump's Remarks on 'Defending Civilization' in Poland og:description: "The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive." og:url: https://time.com/4846924/read-president-trumps-remarks-on-defending-civilization-in-poland/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteb2332167c30a19f/6988d49b8fd2eecd18357dba/gettyimages-809707652.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: US President Donald Trump gives a speech in front of the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square on the sidelines of the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Warsaw, Poland, July 6, 2017. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read Trump's Remarks on 'Defending Civilization' in Poland twitter:description: "The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteb2332167c30a19f/6988d49b8fd2eecd18357dba/gettyimages-809707652.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read President Trump's Remarks on 'Defending Civilization' in Poland > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=36fabfda-7e03-4fa5-8b0e-71edf3047c03&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump in Poland: Does the West Have the 'Will to Survive?' [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump in Poland: Does the West Have the 'Will to Survive?'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/S6Vvw3uR.m3u8) (1:48)  _Published 2017-07-06. During his trip to Poland, President Donald Trump gave a speech to a crowd in Krasinski Square praising the country's spirit, while addressing the need to "preserve our civilization" in the age of terrorism._ by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Jul 6, 2017 2:17 PM UTC by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Jul 6, 2017 2:17 PM UTC President Trump [praised Poland](http://time.com/4846736/donald-trump-poland-speech/) as an example for others who wish to “defend our civilization.” Speaking in [Warsaw](http://time.com/4846907/russia-vladimir-putin-president-donald-trump-warsaw-poland/) Thursday, Trump said that Poland’s fights against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany showed “the story of a people who have never lost hope, who have never been broken and who have never, ever forgotten who they are.” He then connected it to the fight to “preserve our civilization” in the age of terrorism. “The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive,” he said. “Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?” Read a complete transcript of Trump’s [remarks](http://time.com/4846763/melania-trump-says-all-people-should-be-allowed-to-live-their-lives-without-fear/). --- > “” --- ## Transcript While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind. [ APPLAUSE ] We are fighting hard against radical Islamic terrorism, And we will prevail. We cannot accept those who reject our values and who use hatred to justify violence against the innocent. We urge Russia to cease it's destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere and its support For hostile regimes, including Syria and Iran, and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of civilization itself. My administration has demanded that all members Of NATO finally meet their full and fair financial obligation. To those who would criticize our tough stance, I would point out that the United States has demonstrated not merely with words, but with its actions that we stand firmly behind Article V, The mutual defense commitment. The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive. Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we enough respect for out citizens to protect our borders? 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