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The Polish government’s spokesman has declared that the Polish ambassador to France’s statement regarding Poland’s potential involvement in Ukraine’s conflict is just a warning of what could transpire if Ukraine were defeated in the war.
Jan Emeryk Rosciszewski, the Polish ambassador in Paris, was interviewed by the French LCI television station on Saturday.
The broadcaster tweeted Rosciszewski’s statement, declaring that: “If Ukraine fails to defend its independence, we (Poland – ed.) will have no choice but to enter the conflict.”
On Sunday later, the Polish embassy in Paris released a statement, indicating that Rosciszewski’s words had been misunderstood.
In a tweet on Sunday, Bartosz Cichocki, the Polish ambassador in Kyiv, responded to Rosciszewski’s statement by asserting that it is clear that Ukraine’s collapse would lead to war in Poland.
Piotr Mueller, the Polish government spokesman, aimed to explain the remarks of the two diplomats, saying “it is not about Poland joining in a traditional war, but a warning that if Ukraine is defeated in the war, the Baltic states or Poland may be the next to be attacked.”
Mueller declared to state-owned broadcaster TVP 1 that the declarations of the ambassadors were in connection with the caution of Russia’s violent policy issued by the late Polish President Lech Kaczynski in Georgia in 2008. Kaczynski had warned, “Today Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine, the Baltic States the day after tomorrow, and then perhaps the time will come for my country, Poland!”
In a statement released on Sunday, the Polish embassy in Paris wrote that Rosciszewski’s comment “is interpreted by some media in isolation from the context in which it was made.”
Rosciszewski was quoted in the interview as advocating for allies to back Ukraine and as expressing his concern about Russia’s possible danger to Europe and its values.
“A careful listening to the entire conversation makes it clear that there was no announcement of direct involvement by Poland in the conflict, but only a warning of the consequences that a defeat of Ukraine could have,”
the embassy wrote.
“Looking for sensational content that does not fit in with Poland’s consistent efforts over the past year to help Ukraine win this conflict so that it would not spill over into Europe and Poland should be regarded as ill will,”
it added