In a key speech to parliament, Radosław Sikorski outlined a strategic vision for Poland's foreign policy at a historically crucial moment with war across the border in Ukraine, news agencies reported.
His wide-ranging address focused on priorities including national security and European relations, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
NATO must bolster its defences: Polish FM
Amid Russia's more than two-year-old invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, he warned that a Russian attack on NATO would end in defeat for Moscow, but NATO must bolster its defences, the AP news agency noted.
Sikorski told lawmakers in Warsaw: "The alternative ahead is simple: We may have to deal either with a defeated Russian army stationed east of Ukraine’s eastern border, or with a victorious one at Poland’s eastern border."
'Warsaw and Berlin need each other'
Sikorski stressed the importance of friendship with Germany, saying that the period of confrontation under the previous government had ended, the AP reported.
The Polish foreign minister said: “Differences of opinion do not mean we are doomed to eternal conflict. Germany is our democratic neighbour, our largest trading partner, an important European player, and a key NATO ally."
He declared: "Warsaw and Berlin need each other."
Focus on Weimar Triangle ties
Sikorski said Warsaw would aim to strengthen ties with Berlin and Paris as part of the Weimar Triangle, an intergovernmental alliance whose role has grown significantly since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
He argued that Poland’s development and security should be based both on trans-Atlantic cooperation and European integration, and that his country is also ready to take responsibility for global challenges, the AP reported.
Sikorski started his speech by critiquing the policies of Poland’s previous conservative government, emphasizing the need for bipartisan cooperation, news outlets noted.
In his speech, he proposed enhancements to the EU’s decision-making processes and migration policies, aiming for a more controlled and strategic approach, according to officials.
He also discussed Poland's active role in international coalitions and Warsaw's efforts in aiding the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine, the PAP news agency reported.
Sikorski said ahead of his address that he would seek to lay out policy priorities while also aiming to "correct misleading narratives from past administrations."
Before delivering his speech to MPs, Sikorski presented his policy proposals to President Andrzej Duda and members of the Polish parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
His plan draws on extensive consultations with foreign policy experts amid ongoing global instability and Russia's war in Ukraine, according to the PAP news agency.
He said "this initial review is crucial not only as a reflection but also as a stepping stone towards inviting opposition cooperation and seeking consensus on pivotal national matters."
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 792 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: TVP Info, PAP, IAR, AP, gov.pl
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Marcin Matuszewski.