Poland says ready to cooperate with 'non-imperial Russia'

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) – Poland would cooperate with Russia only when it starts to respect its neighbors’ right to exist, the Polish foreign minister said on Thursday.

“Poland is ready to cooperate with a non-imperial Russia that respects the rights of other nations to self-determination, recognizing that its neighbors also have security interests, not a Russia personified by the murdered Alexey Navalny and other prisoners of conscience,” Radoslaw Sikorski told the parliament. Navalny, 47, died on Feb. 16 in an Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year term for extremist activities.

Sikorski said an attack by Russia on any NATO member would inevitably result in [President Vladimir] Putin's defeat, noting that NATO has three times as many soldiers and planes and four times as many ships.

He added that Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine where Russia launched a "special military operation" more than two years ago, supports the creation of a European rapid reaction force, the first component of which should be operational by 2025.

“This 5,000 to 10,000-strong force - which I call the European Legion - should be composed of volunteers, citizens of the member states. ... We need forces capable of quick intervention in response to threats emerging in the immediate vicinity of European borders,” Sikorski said.

“If Ukraine defends itself, democrats will believe that good defeats evil and Western values can win. If it were to fall, the darkness of a triumphant dictatorship would descend upon our border. I trust that thanks to the efforts of the civilized world, Putin will lose this war,” he said.

Commenting on Israel and its war on Gaza launched more than six months ago, the foreign minister said: “We recognize Israel's right to self-defense while respecting international humanitarian law. We condemn the Hamas attack of Oct. 7 and feel the pain of the families of all the victims and hostages still held by terrorists. At the same time, we would like to know whether Israel envisages the possibility of coexistence with the Palestinian state, which Poland recognizes. And if not, what are his plans for the 5 million Palestinians?”

The minister said Poland requires Israel to ensure that events such as the attack on the humanitarian convoy of World Central Kitchen, in which a Polish citizen among seven aid workers died, does not take place again. He added that Warsaw took note of Tel Aviv's apology.

On Poland’s demand of compensating Poland for huge losses it suffered at German hands during World War II, he said: “Partnership means respect for interests, but also sensitivity and empathy towards humanitarian and historical issues ... We expect Berlin to offer compensation, for which there is no shortage of ideas."