Poland is pushing for sanctions against Russia to be as extensive as possible and, above all, realistic, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s prime minister said in Brussels on Wednesday.
Mateusz Morawiecki told journalists after a European Union meeting with countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): “A very big success on our part and the part of several delegations were the clear-cut condemnation of Russia and the Russian aggression against Ukraine which was a part of the talks with our Asian partners.”
“I say loud and clear – Poland is in favour of strengthening the sanctions. We call on all other countries to seal, strengthen and extend the sanctions against Russia,”
Morawiecki stressed.
“Unfortunately, some countries have proposed removing several Russian oligarchs from the sanctions list – including Mr Kantor, a person responsible as one of Putin’s closest associates for Russia’s economic interests. We are definitely against it (…) We also opt for the seizure of the assets of Russian oligarchs and the Russian Federation. This money can be used to rebuild Ukraine and mitigate the effects of Russian aggression on European citizens,”
he said.
“What is quite obvious in Europe and the European Union is not as obvious in other parts of the world (…) Seeking friends and explaining to them what the Russian aggression is all about is a vital part of building alliances against Russia in this brutal aggression in Ukraine,”
said the prime minister.
The prime minister pointed out that “Russia is waging war in Ukraine, but it is also waging an economic war with Europe,” and added that “this economic war is about Russia doing everything possible to keep gas and oil prices as high as possible.” In response, the European Union, Poland, and other countries should reduce gas and oil prices as much as possible, he said.
“It is very important, in the long run, to ensure predictability for Polish and European business, so I encourage our partners from the European Union to be bolder, more courageous, to simply take advantage of this powerful economic force that the European Union has at its disposal, and not to hide… whenever the Kremlin and Moscow shake their fingers,”
Morawiecki said.
“Poland is pushing for this sanctions regime to be as extensive as possible and, above all, realistic,” concluded the prime minister.