Sikorski: Poland and the UK have common views on situation in Ukraine, PAP dispatch

10 March 2014
  

Sikorski: Poland and the UK have common views on situation in Ukraine, PAP dispatch 

 “Poland and the UK have common views on many issues regarding the Ukrainian crisis and tensions over Crimea,” Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told journalists after a meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday.

“We have agreed that we will work together to implement the EU leaders’ decision to apply sanctions [against Russia] if there is no de-escalation of conflict,” said Sikorski after the meeting in London.

“Of course we hope that the conflict will de-escalate. Poland and the UK are continuing their efforts to bring about a dialogue between Russia and the EU, and, more importantly, between Russia and Ukraine. So far, however, Russia has been trying to establish a fait accompli in Crimea,” the minister underscored.

Moreover, Polish and British foreign ministers discussed aid for the Ukrainian government. “Ukraine has to comply with International Monetary Fund’s criteria and fight against corruption more intensely. Monopolies should be dismantled and the economy should be more stable and more open to both domestic and foreign investors,” said Sikorski noting that right now the Ukrainian economy is very energy-consuming and inefficient.

The chief of Poland’s diplomacy announced that representatives of EU Member States and the U.S. will start talks about sanctions against Russia on Tuesday in London. The talks will be held at expert and political levels.

According to Sikorski, there are two conclusions to be drawn from the Crimean conflict: The EU needs a stronger foreign and security policy and it has to cooperate more intensely.

Sikorski stressed that “there is not even a theoretical possibility” that Sunday’s referendum on incorporating Crimea to Russia will be legal. “As far as I know, electoral registers are prepared in Kyiv, not in Simferopol. Russia blocks OSCE observers from entering Crimea. It seems that what we will be witnessing is a parody of referendum,” said Sikorski.

Last week, the Crimean parliament voted in favour of incorporating the peninsula to the Russian Federation. The referendum scheduled for 16 March is expected to confirm this.