There was supposed to be an information briefing by the head of Polish diplomacy on the actions taken following the arrest of saboteurs acting on behalf of Russia. Instead, Radosław Sikorski delivered a tirade and a series of attempts to strike at Jarosław Kaczyński and Karol Nawrocki. All of them were off target – it was the services subordinate to the government of Donald Tusk that let in and then allowed to leave those responsible for acts of sabotage against Poland’s critical infrastructure.
“A foreign state sent in well-prepared saboteurs. Only by a miracle did they fail to achieve their aim. The Russian GRU routinely hires subcontractors under a false flag for its dirty work. This time it was not only an act of sabotage, as before, but an act of state terrorism, because the clear intention was to cause casualties. This will be met with our response, not only a diplomatic one, about which we will inform in the coming days,” said Radosław Sikorski from the Sejm rostrum.
“Those who blame Ukraine for Russia’s actions in Poland are political saboteurs, and Russia spends billions on fueling such sentiments, on disinformation and propaganda. It wants to turn part of public opinion against our neighbors…” he said. And at this point, the head of Polish diplomacy could have finished. The minister, however, let himself get carried away by the parliamentary atmosphere and continued his speech: “…against the Union and against the refugees from Ukraine who fled to Poland from Russian bombs. (…) Why is Putin doing this? For the same reason he supported Brexit, financed the separatist movement in Spain, supports the nationalist government of Hungary and far-right parties that promise to wreck the Union from within. (…) the reason is obvious. As a Union we are a giant in relation to Russia, and as individual member states, it is Russia that is a power compared to us. Is that so hard to understand?” he continued.
Sikorski Found Those Responsible? He Missed
He came prepared to attack the Polish right and the president, who in his view is pushing for a Polexit. “It is thanks to throwing off the communist yoke and regaining sovereignty that we were able to join the EU,” said Sikorski, with newly elected Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty standing behind him. He continued, showing the signature of the late President Prof. Lech Kaczyński on the ratification of the EU treaty: “Jarosław Kaczyński did not have the courage to listen to my words, but it was he who negotiated this treaty. And its ratification was confirmed, the ratification document, let us look, by the President of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczyński. Are these the Polish politicians who, according to President Nawrocki’s words, sold out Poland’s sovereignty? If you now believe, Mr. Chairman, that you negotiated poorly, or that your brother should not have signed this document, then instead of railing at Brussels, perhaps you should first apologize to the Polish people?” shouted Sikorski.
He also attempted an attack on the head of state, saying “Mr. President, you have the right to your nationalist views”. He tried to lecture Karol Nawrocki as well, explaining to him what the role of the president is. These actions by the minister were evidently intended to maintain the current, less-than-ideal relations between the MFA (MSZ) and the Presidential Chancellery.
The Guilty Should Be Sought Among “Their Own”
Sikorski must have missed yesterday’s speech by the head of government. Let us recall that it was Donald Tusk who, during his Sejm address, admitted that Polish services allowed two Ukrainian citizens acting on Russian orders to cross the border from Belarus. They left the country the same way, through open border crossings. Sikorski’s behavior did not go unnoticed by MPs present in the chamber.
It is also worth noting that, as a response, the consulate of the Russian Federation in Gdańsk will be closed. Sikorski, however, said that diplomatic relations between the states would not be severed.