Le Soir: Europe recognises Poland as an expert on Ukraine and Russia

 25 February 2014

Le Soir: Europe recognises Poland as an expert on Ukraine and Russia

“Poland has long been recognised by the rest of Europe as an expert on Ukraine and Russia. It is also an advocate of Ukraine in its plans to move closer to the European Union,” reads an article written for Le Soir by Jurek Kuczkiewicz entitled Sikorski, diplomat européen de choc (Sikorski, European action diplomat).

Kuczkiewicz recalls that during his January European tour, Donald Tusk tried to make his counterparts sensitive to the need of offering Ukraine a “European perspective,” and that the three Weimar Triangle foreign ministersof Germany, France and Polandwent to Kyiev on a mission to communicate to President Yanukovych that Europe was considering sanctions [against Ukraine]. Kuczkiewicz adds, quoting Minister Sikorski, that Russia’s envoy Vladimir Lukin also played a constructive role. The author suggests that it was not by accident that the signature of Poland’s foreign minister appeared as the first on an agreement signed by President Yanukovych and Ukrainian opposition leaders.“He has been a major player in European diplomacy for a number of years and now has played the first fiddle in what may be described as “an operation by European diplomacy’s special forces.” Radosław Sikorski has demonstrated by his actions that Polish diplomacy is gathering momentum,” says the author of the article. “The worst moment came at 1.00 pm. The opposition did not want to go the President. So, Minister Steinmeier and I went to Maidan [Independence Square] to meet with the opposition,” Minister Sikorski is quoted as saying. A person from the minister’s entourage adds: “The thought that people were dying as we were negotiating was horrifying. But it only strengthened our resolve to find an agreement.”

Kuczkiewicz notes that when information about acts of violence in Ukraine first began to come, Sikorski called Catherine Ashton to tell her he was ready to act. The author notes that Minister Sikorski has been known for offering this gesture before, being the first chief of diplomacy to go to Libya the day after the toppling of Khadafy’s regime. “Ashton did not hesitate for a moment and asked Sikorski to go to Kyiv. They also agreed that Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Laurent Fabius would join him on Thursday, reads Le Soir.Sikorski arrives in Kyiv on Wednesday and meets with Arseniy Yatsenyuk, an opposition leader and with Minister Kozara, who guarantees him that the trio would meet with Yanukovych the next day. Sikorski’s team used the night to draft notes. On Thursday morning, the trio, well-briefed by Poles, meets with the President. A meeting that initially was planned as a short visit turns into a three-hour negotiation.

The article’s author also assesses that the short film clip showing Minister Sikorski threatening the opposition leaders that if don’t support [the agreement], they will have martial law and will all be dead is a hit on the Internet, and has confirmed Sikorski’s reputation as a ‘man of action.’ “Minister Sikorski has helped to avert a civil war in Ukraine,” concludes Kuczkiewicz.