Zbigniew Rau made the announcement after a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, Poland's PAP news agency reported.
The Polish foreign minister said that the gathering, which was also attended by Ukraine's top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba, had been dominated by the situation around Ukraine, amid concerns of a possible Russian attack.
Rau told reporters that during the meeting news came from Moscow that Russia could decide later on Monday to recognise the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, controlled by Russian-backed rebels and collectively known as the Donbass.
According to the Polish foreign minister, the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked an “animated discussion” in Brussels, which led to the development of an “essentially unified stance.”
Rau said: “All the participants said that President Putin should be urged to act in accordance with international law and the Minsk Protocol, which would mean not recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as subjects of international law.”
He added: “Everyone stressed that if it came to pass anyway, the EU would adopt an unequivocal and unified position on the matter, characterised by unity.”
Asked about possible sanctions against Russia if it invaded Ukraine, Rau replied that "a relevant package" had already been prepared.
“Decisions about the content of the sanctions have been taken,” Rau told reporters.
Biden-Putin summit?
These developments came as US President Joe Biden agreed "in principle" to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as long as Russia does not further invade Ukraine, the White House said.
The potential Biden-Putin summit, put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron, comes amid fresh US warnings that war is imminent. The meeting would occur after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet on Thursday, the broadcaster CNN reported, citing sources at the White House.
On the sidelines of the EU meeting in Brussels, Poland's Rau held talks with his Slovakian counterpart Ivan Korcok and and Estonia's Eva-Maria Liimets, the Polish foreign ministry announced on Twitter. It added that the foreign ministers “discussed the security situation in the region given the ongoing events in and around Ukraine.”
On Tuesday, Poland’s top diplomat will visit NATO headquarters in the Belgian capital to meet with the alliance’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Afterwards, he is set to appear before NATO’s North Atlantic Council to outline Poland’s priorities at the rotating helm of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Poland’s turn at the head of the OSCE lasts throughout 2022.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP