Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski estimated that the only country able to force Russia to end the war in Ukraine was China. "If they told the Russians to end the war, otherwise they would close the border and halt dealing with them, I think the Russians would gotta comply. But they don't want to do it," said the head of the MFA.
Sikorski spoke to the American magazine "Foreign Affairs" on Wednesday at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly session in fresh York City. The recording was posted on Thursday on the magazine's website.
Russian drones as provocation
The Minister assessed the fresh intrusion of Russian drones into Poland as a deliberate provocation. "We think it was intentional provocation. We've been watching these drones since they started. The place of launch was different than in the case of launch (drones) aimed at Ukraine" - said Sikorski.
"We see this as part of a set of Putin hybrids to test NATO" - he added, reminding of another Russian hybrid attacks in Europe. He stressed that Poland needs cheaper measures than F-35 aircraft to deal with drones.
The consequence of NATO and allies
Sikorski admitted that Poland was pleased with NATO's consequence to the incident. "We have called for (starting) Article 4, that is to say an urgent consultation where the country feels threatened. It was immediately activated" - he recalled.
The allies provided support to Poland in the form of additional air defence and fighters. "So I think it's another disappointment for Putin. He increased our sense of danger, giving us a chance to do something about it" - added the minister.
Comment on Trump
When asked about president Donald Trump's reaction to the drone incident, Sikorski replied, "I wonder what his reaction would be if 21 Cuban drones flew over Florida." However, he positively assessed Trump's declaration about NATO's right to knock down Russian fighters violating airspace.
Commenting on Trump's Tuesday speech at the UN, the minister said he would remember them for years. "As a consequence of his speech and meetings with the president (Ukraine Volodymyr) Zelenski sounded more openly erstwhile it came to supporting Ukraine" - he added.
Polish strategy and US troops
Sikorski stressed that "Poland has not delegated its sovereignty to anyone". He explained that if the border was crossed by tanks, ships or planes, the Polish army would do what the Constitution provided for.
The minister mentioned the benefits of stationing 10,000 American soldiers in Poland. "We spend $15,000 a year on all American soldier. (...) Keeping them in Poland is cheaper than in the USA" - he said. "I think we gave (Trump) a good deal" - he admitted.
Peace Mission in Ukraine
Sikorski announced that Poland would not send soldiers to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission for historical reasons. "We were the same country for 400 years. It would be as if the British (send soldiers) to Ireland" - he explained.
"But we will do everything else to make this operation successful," he declared. The Minister admitted that talks about a hypothetical peace mission are not as urgent as supporting Ukraine in the fight here and now.
China's key to ending the war
According to Sikorski, the war in Ukraine "fits China" which gain on selling Russian goods. "Russia has become much more dependent on China. So China won vassal" - said the minister.
Beijing most likely wouldn't be happy if Putin lost his power as a consequence of a lost war. "Because of its rivalry with the US, China does not want to be alone" - Sikorski added. He warned that allowing Putin to occupy Ukraine could encourage China to "recover" Taiwan.
Ukrainian attacks and war prospects
The minister referred to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, which could have already touched half of them. "There is information about petrol queues across Russia" - he stressed. "So this fight for who will first run out of supplies seems to be more equal than we expected" - he added.
Sikorski reported that the Ukrainian authorities do not anticipate an imminent ceasefire. "In fact, they are planning a war on the possible of 3 years" - he said. He expressed hope that Trump would be annoyed that "his colleague Vladimir mocked him" and would impose fresh sanctions on Russia.
Sources used: "PAP" Note: This article has been edited with the aid of Artificial Intelligence.
