Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski addressed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a UN Security Council meeting after Lavrov left the hall shortly before the Polish diplomat’s speech. Sikorski said that Russia can end the war against Ukraine, but it cannot win it.
This was reported by RMF24.
The head of Poland’s Foreign Ministry stressed that Russia has been waging war against Ukraine for more than four years but has failed to achieve its stated goals. According to him, Moscow continues escalating the conflict and is looking for reasons to prolong hostilities.
“To the representatives of the Russian Federation I want to say: you have been trying to conquer Donbas for more than 12 years, and Kyiv for more than four. You were stopped by heroic Ukraine,” Sikorski said.
He noted that Ukraine’s economic potential is significantly smaller than Russia’s, but Western support creates a substantial advantage.
“You can continue killing many people, but you cannot win,” the Polish minister said.
Sikorski called on Russia to end its “imperial war” and stop putting Europe and the world at risk.
“Stop destroying Russia’s future, Sergey. I know you are listening. Tell your boss that enough is enough,” he said, addressing Lavrov.
Earlier, the Russian foreign minister stated that Moscow does not intend to stop its war against Ukraine. Lavrov also accused European countries of allegedly using a possible ceasefire to strengthen the Ukrainian military.
“Having drawn conclusions from bitter experience, we will not suspend the special military operation during negotiations in any form,” Lavrov said.
Sikorski rejects Lavrov’s claims about Ukraine
After Lavrov’s speech, Sikorski also responded to his statements regarding events in Ukraine.
The Polish foreign minister rejected Russia’s version of events surrounding the 2014 Maidan protests.
“I was indeed there together with the foreign ministers of Germany and France, and there was no coup d’état,” Sikorski said.
According to him, then-President Viktor Yanukovych was removed from power by a democratically elected parliament, including with the votes of lawmakers associated with his own political group.
Sikorski also rejected Lavrov’s claim that the Russian language had been completely banned in Ukraine.
“Ten days ago I was in Kyiv under Russian bombardment and I can assure him that the Russian language is widely used there,” Sikorski said.
At the same time, the Polish minister noted that issues related to the protection of national minorities should be addressed through international mechanisms, but they cannot serve as a justification for the use of military force.
“There is no right to send tanks and ballistic missiles into the territory of Ukraine,” Sikorski stressed.
Sikorski on contacts with Belarus
The Polish foreign minister also commented on his meeting with Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryazhenkov.
He said the meeting was not a breakthrough but showed a possible gradual restoration of contacts between the two countries.
According to Sikorski, the talks covered political and practical issues, including the situation of political prisoners and the investigation into the death of Polish soldier Sergeant Mateusz Sitek on the Polish-Belarusian border.
The minister said Poland had previously demanded that Belarus release political prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut, and after this condition was partially fulfilled, an “opening” appeared, although its outcome remains unknown.
