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Russia poses greatest threat to Europe, Polish FM tells MPs

13.04.2023 12:30
Russia's aggressive policies pose the greatest threat to peace in Europe and Poland's security, the Polish foreign minister said on Thursday, declaring that his country's aim was to stop "Russia's imperial ambitions."
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  • Russia poses greatest threat to Europe, Polish FM tells MPs
Polands Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau addresses parliament in Warsaw on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau addresses parliament in Warsaw on Thursday, April 13, 2023.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

"The aggressive policy of the Russian Federation remains the greatest threat to peace in Europe, including Poland's security," Zbigniew Rau said in a speech to parliament.

"More than a year ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a brutal invasion of Ukraine, once again demonstrating its desire to subjugate neighboring nations," he added.

"The unchanging goal of our foreign policy is to limit and contain Russia's imperial ambitions," he stated.

Rau told lawmakers that "the Polish government maintains its position" that Russia "will remain outside the community of civilized nations until it ends its aggression in Ukraine and withdraws its troops from Ukraine ... including the Crimean peninsula."

He spoke against "premature proposals to rebuild bridges with Russia," Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Rau also told MPs on Thursday that Poland was skeptical about France's attempts to hold peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Russia invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

Thursday is day 414 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The Polish foreign minister has previously said that Russia's war in Ukraine "could end today" and "peace might be achieved even tomorrow" if Moscow stopped its military aggression and withdrew its troops.

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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters