Krzysztof Szczerski made the statement at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Poland's PAP news agency reported.
The session, convened at the request of the United States, focused on Russia’s deployment of troops to Ukraine’s border.
“We cannot keep quiet because what is happening in our neighbourhood constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security, reaching far beyond our region and continent,” Szczerski told the gathering.
“We cannot keep quiet because what is happening in our neighbourhood constitutes the outright violation of the fundamental principles enshrined in the UN Charter,” he added.
Szczerski warned that “what is at stake today is not only the subordination of Ukraine, and the creation of the so-called ‘buffer zone’ in Eastern and Central Europe,” but “the very foundation of security architecture in Europe,” the PAP news agency reported.
“We know very well from our country’s history that a political order based on the spheres of influence brings no positive results,” Szczerski said, adding that the United Nations must “work together to dismantle spheres of influence in order to maintain peace.”
He warned that Russia’s actions towards Ukraine “may have a global impact and contribute to the deterioration of international security, not to mention a possible humanitarian crisis, as there are other revisionist powers which may follow suit."
Szczerski called for a resolution of the Ukraine crisis within the Organisation for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which Poland is chairing in 2022, and where both Russia and Ukraine are represented, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
“Living in the constant fear of another frozen conflict is against the commitment of these United Nations to ‘practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours’,” Szczerski said, and concluded: ”With the Winter Olympics less than a week away let us do whatever we can to maintain the Olympic peace in Eastern Europe.”
Diplomats from Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus also attended the UN Security Council session on Monday, the PAP news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, IAR, gov.pl
Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.