Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, Ukraine's top diplomat Andrii Sybiha and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made the remarks in Warsaw after a meeting of foreign ministers from the Council of the Baltic Sea States, which focused on supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Sikorski said the meeting had confirmed regional unity in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion and agreement on the need to strengthen military and financial assistance to Ukraine.
He said Poland would provide an additional PLN 8 million (EUR 1.8 million, USD 2 million) to help buy generators for Ukraine ahead of winter.
A key priority was helping Ukraine prepare for the coming winter and strengthening the resilience of its energy sector, Sikorski said.
He added that Russia must understand that continuing its war would bring mounting costs and consequences.
Poland was ready to contribute to efforts to establish lasting peace and security in the region, he said.
Sikorski said initiatives aimed at ending the war were welcome but added that the process should follow a clear sequence: first a ceasefire, then negotiations on lasting peace, and only afterward possible discussions on restoring Europe's security architecture and arms control arrangements.
He also said Ukraine should not be forced to negotiate its future under the pressure of attacks on civilians.
"No solution can be imposed on Ukraine without its consent and without Ukraine being at the table," Sikorski said, adding that Europe's security likewise could not be discussed without European participation.
He said countries on NATO's eastern flank would be particularly affected by the terms of any potential peace agreement and could offer an important perspective on the threat posed by Russia.
Sikorski also called for tougher sanctions against Russia, stronger efforts to counter hybrid threats and the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's defence and reconstruction.
He urged the European Union to tighten its visa policy toward Russian citizens, saying it was difficult for Poland to understand why Russians received a total of 623,000 Schengen visas last year, 84 percent of them for tourism.
Poland itself issued about 100 visas to Russian citizens during that period, mostly for humanitarian reasons, he said.
Sybiha described Poland as Ukraine's reliable and closest ally and a key logistics hub for its security.
He said Europe must be involved in the peace process both before and after planned trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11.
Ukraine was approaching the meeting seriously, Sybiha said, listing its priorities as security guarantees, de-escalation in the Black Sea, an energy ceasefire, the return of Ukrainian children and prisoner exchanges.
He said Kyiv expected Russia to show the same seriousness.
Kallas said there was fresh diplomatic momentum toward ending Russia's war against Ukraine and that the EU supported efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Although it was unclear when a comprehensive peace agreement could be reached, she said, any arrangements requiring implementation would need the EU's participation.
She cited security guarantees, sanctions, Ukraine's reconstruction and its eventual accession to the European Union as areas where the bloc would have a central role, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The three officials were also asked about comments by US President Donald Trump's envoy Jared Kushner, who said Washington had held "productive and substantive" talks in Brussels on Thursday with Ukraine, NATO and European partners about security guarantees for Kyiv and "a broader European security architecture."
Kushner said on Friday that European countries could take part in negotiations to end the war, depending on how the talks progressed.
Asked whether they feared the United States and Russia might reach an agreement without consulting Ukraine or European countries, Sikorski said such an outcome would be both unwise and impossible given the influence Ukraine and Europe could exert.
He also referred to the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which he said sets out who is authorised to represent the bloc in foreign policy matters.
At the level of heads of state and government, that role belongs to the president of the European Council, while at the ministerial level it belongs to the EU's foreign policy chief, he said.
Kallas said Europe would have to be involved in any agreement if it was to be implemented.
Sybiha reiterated that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity were non-negotiable.
He said any settlement must not impose restrictions on Ukraine's military capabilities, its armed forces or its right to make independent foreign policy decisions, and must include strong security guarantees.
Sikorski said the meeting had also demonstrated Poland's commitment to regional security.
He confirmed that Poland would host military exercises by the Coalition of the Willing, which brings together Ukraine's allies, later this month.
"Together, we are defending the security of all Europe," he said.
(gs)
Source: IAR/PAP