Minister Sikorski urges Ukrainians to seek compromise in Financial Times interview

 11 February 2014

Minister Sikorski urges Ukrainians to seek compromise in Financial Times interview

“What I tell them [Ukrainians] is to learn not only from our successes but also from our mistakes. Repeat our scenario of 1989 when we made a deal, and not our scenario of 1981 when the opposition overestimated our strength and the government cracked down,” Minister Radosław Sikorski tells the British daily Financial Times.

Speaking to Jan Cienski, Poland’s top diplomat compares financial packages the European Union and Russia offered Ukraine (amounting to 20 and 15 billion dollars, respectively). “Our western offer is conditional on Ukraine starting reforms, in other words starting to do something that is good for Ukraine. Whereas the Russian offer seems to be conditional on the composition of the Ukrainian government,” notes Minister Sikorski.

The British daily underscores that Poland’s recent actions on Ukraine, including the series of foreign visits by the Polish prime minister, demonstrate our country’s confidence in shaping EU foreign policy, especially its eastern dimension. The paper quotes Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who said that Ukraine, as a European country, has the right to become an EU member in the future. The lack of such declaration  in December “weakened the attraction of the association agreement,” Minister Sikorski tells the FT. Moreover, the daily notes Polish calls for a “new Marshall Plan” for Ukraine.

In the interview, the chief of Poland’s diplomacy also refers to Poland-UK relations in the context of recent comments by the British prime minister about social benefits for Poles who once worked in the UK.

“I think and hope that British politicians and media will accurately report that these provisions apply to all EU citizens,” points out the minister. He also warns against putting the future membership of the EU to a referendum, recalling how much the UK has benefitted from the union.

The FT emphasizes that in recent years Poland’s foreign policy has become more pro-EU and more distanced from the US. Poland has now closer relations with Berlin and Paris. The paper also writes about Minister Sikorski’s liking for Great Britain.

http://www.msz.gov.pl/en/