Paweł Kowal: Poland needs allies among advocates of sanctions against Russia

Easing sanctions against Russia should not be permitted.

Such a statement has been made in an interview to Polskie radio by the former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Paweł Kowal.

The politician holds a critical attitude towards Polish-Ukrainian relations, however he has a hope that the recent visit of Poland’s Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz to Kyiv is to change this situation. Kowal stressed that in the talks about the future of Ukraine the voice of Poland should be loud and noticeable. He noted that the position of Kyiv, which supports “the Normandy format” for these talks, should not influence the decisions of Warsaw.

- We have entered into a marriage with Germany and France. We are together with the European Union, we have a common policy. If we have claims, let’s bring them to Berlin, London, Paris or Washington, – Kowal said.

As said by the politician, the leaders of Western states have agreed to this format of the talks.

- Ukraine is under the pressure from the both sides. Russians are telling us in a low voice that now such a policy would be conducted as to keep Poland away from the negotiating table. In fact we are already in the process of a kind of velvet isolation. And we should not ask either Kyiv or other capital where our interest is, – Mr Kowal stressed.

According to his evaluation, the voices in the West which are saying that the policy towards Russia should be moderated, are becoming more and more noticeable.

- The group of the states which want easing of the sanctions against Russia is becoming increasingly stronger in the EU. In this situation Poland should look for allies in Romania, Lithuania, or in the Great Britain, that is in the countries which are supporters of harshening sanctions against Russia. The signal that Russia is not changing its policy while we are easing sanctions would mean serious problems for us, – he added.