Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski spoke during the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.
The head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs devoted his speech to refuting the theses previously expressed by Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia. The Russian ambassador blamed the US and the West for the war. As he said, the heads of diplomacy of European countries "are not ministers of foreign affairs" because "they do not pursue independent policies."
– The Russian ambassador calls Ukraine a "client of the West." In fact, Kiev is fighting to be independent. (...) He calls them "Nazis". (...) He says that Ukraine is wallowing in corruption. Well, Alexei Navalny has documented how clean and honest his country (Russia) is. He blames the war on US neo-colonialism. In fact, Russia tried to exterminate Ukraine in the 19th century, then the Bolsheviks did it, and now we have a third attempt - pointed out Radosław Sikorski.
– Nebenzia said that we are "prisoners of Russophobia." Phobia means irrational fear. Meanwhile, we receive threats of nuclear annihilation almost every day from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Putin's propagandists. I claim this is not unreasonable, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
– The Russian ambassador even said that Poland attacked Russia during World War II! What is he talking about? It was the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany that attacked Poland on September 17, 1939. They even held a joint victory parade. He says that Russia has always only fought aggression. What were Soviet troops doing near Warsaw in 1920? Were they on a topographic expedition? – said the head of Polish diplomacy.
– The ambassador succeeded in reminding us why we resisted Soviet domination and why Ukraine is resisting now. They failed to subjugate us, and they will not succeed in subjugating Ukraine, he added.
- Based on reporting by Dorzeczy(.)pl.
- The official transcript of Minister Sikorski's speech is not available yet.
