Europe has been “attacked by Russia,” Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Friday, with attacks ranging from political assassinations and cyberwarfare to acts of sabotage and armed displacement.
At a press conference in Berlin, Sikorski said that Poland's EU presidency will “focus on security,” and the country feels “reassured” that its repeated warnings of a threat from Moscow have been proven correct.
Almost three years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sikorski highlighted various attacks carried out by Russia on European soil, including the 2019 massacre in Berlin and “political assassination” in the United Kingdom.
“In other countries, there are acts of vandalism: in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland,” he said, referring to the cases of arson, threats, and infrastructure disruptions that have caused alarm throughout Eastern Europe in recent years.
The incidents can be directly linked to the Russian GRU intelligence service, said the 61-year-old, a former Polish defense minister. “We arrested people employed by the GRU, we ordered them and they paid money for the burning of places.
“Russia's attacks on European security have also been online for years, Sikorski said.
European countries are under “constant cyberattack,” he warned, while citing “interference” in the Brexit referendum.
Events in Romania – which saw the first round of presidential elections canceled in December after the surprise victory of a little-known pro-Russian candidate – must “wake up,” Sikorski insisted.
“Someone paid for a social media campaign on his behalf,” he said.
Poland also faced an increased threat from “armed migrants” on its eastern border, Sikorski argued, describing the problem as a “mixed operation by Russia and Belarus.”
The strategy behind the wave of Russian attacks, for Sikorski, is clear: “[Russian President] Vladimir Putin clearly annoys us, and is trying to manipulate our electoral systems and institutions for the purpose of restoring Russian control over another country's territory, and for the sake of destroying the Western alliance. “
The foreign minister said the best answer for Europe is to “get serious about European security.”
“Strength weakens, weakness encourages,” he added.
Sikorski: Poland is 'Ukraine's best friend'
European countries have invested heavily in their military since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, with 23 NATO members meeting a target of spending 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense last year, up from six by 2021.
Poland has led the way, as Sikorski says, defense spending is forecast to reach 4.7% of GDP by 2025. “I hope that others in NATO will also increase their money, because Vladimir Putin is 8.[%] or more.”
Regarding the war in Ukraine, Sikorski said there are no signs of a ceasefire.
“Putin thinks he is winning, and the war will end only when Putin stops fighting,” the minister said.
Until the end of the conflict, the possible deployment of European peacekeepers to Ukraine remains a “hypothetical discussion,” he said.
He also rejected the idea that Poland could mediate in the conflict, as the country's status is neutral.
“We are good friends of Ukraine,” Sikorski said. “And we consider Putin's Russia a hostile country.”
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