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Warsaw aims to deepen EU, NATO ties amid Russian threat, Polish FM tells MPs

23.04.2025 12:30
Poland seeks to bolster national and international security through the European Union and NATO in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and continued aggression, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said in parliament on Wednesday.
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Polands Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski addresses parliament on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski addresses parliament on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

He told lawmakers that, after eight years of Eurosceptic right-wing rule, Poland is now playing an increasingly influential role in global affairs under Donald Tusk's centrist government.

"Today's international order, with the EU and NATO at its core, offers us something we often lacked in the past — agency, real influence on European and global policy," Sikorski said, outlining Poland's foreign policy priorities.

He added that "Polish diplomacy must focus on reinforcing these institutions rather than questioning their legitimacy" — a nod to domestic criticism of EU policies from the opposition.

"The bottom line is that a Poland alone is a Poland weakened," Sikorski told parliament. "The EU gives strength. Strength gives security."

World 'less predictable,' but 'Poland is stronger'

Sikorski warned that Europe was facing its most challenging geopolitical environment in decades, cautioning against returning to a system of great power rivalries that marginalises smaller states.

"The international environment is less predictable than it was 20 years ago, but Poland is stronger," he declared.

"Europe faces an existential choice: unite and act as a heavyweight or risk becoming sidelined," he said.

Citing Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Sikorski highlighted Europe's defence potential: "It is a grim paradox that 500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans to defend them against 140 million Russians," he said.

He called for European resolve: "We must recognise our own resources, believe in our capabilities, and act."

"It is not numbers that shape reality, but actions," he told lawmakers.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info

Click on the audio player icon above for a report by Marcin Matuszewski.