Mateusz Morawiecki made the appeal to the European Commission after hosting his visiting Belgian counterpart Alexander de Croo in Warsaw on Monday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The Polish prime minister noted that the EU provided financial assistance to Turkey during a previous refugee crisis.
“For now, we are financing the effort from our own coffers, but … we are holding intensive talks with the European Commission on this issue,” he told reporters.
Morawiecki said he expected the EU to adopt “an active and positive stance” in terms of helping his country deal with the refugee crisis.
‘Devastating’ sanctions
He also told reporters that the Russian army was leaving “a totally criminal and tragic trail” of civilian torture and killing in Ukraine, "from Bucha to Hostomel and most recently Husarivka."
“In the face of such horrendous crimes we must close our ranks,” he added, calling for further, “devastating” sanctions against Moscow.
Morawiecki stated: “I believe that sanctions are not working effectively. It is important that we remain united so that further sanctions will make the Kremlin realise that we are determined to defend our universal values.”
Among such values he mentioned “the right to live, prohibition of torture, freedom, justice and solidarity.”
The Polish prime minister emphasised that Ukraine needed urgent humanitarian support, as well as military aid, noting that Belgium had been providing both, “just like the countries on NATO’s eastern flank,” the PAP news agency reported.
“And this is what we are working on with the Belgian prime minister, so that Ukraine can stand up for the values that we all care about,” Morawiecki said.
‘Poland is helping refugees admirably’
Meanwhile, Belgium’s de Croo praised Poland for having “always supported crippling sanctions against Russia.”
He told reporters that a new round of EU sanctions was necessary “to further block Russia’s access to financial markets.”
De Croo expressed “admiration for how Poland supports refugees from Ukraine,” the PAP news agency reported.
He said: “We must identify and punish those responsible for war crimes.”
Morawiecki and de Croo later visited Ukrainian mothers and children displaced by the war at a reception centre in Serock near Warsaw.
Monday was day 47 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Poland on Monday reported it had welcomed nearly 2.66 million refugees fleeing Russia's assault on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl
Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.