Exclusive: Poland’s PM on Ukraine war and ‘short-sighted’ EU states

President Vladimir Putin is a “battle legal” who’s committing “genocide” in Ukraine and the European Union should not resume “enterprise as typical” with Russia so long as he stays in energy, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki instructed Euronews in an unique interview.

“This Russia is totalitarian, it is nationalistic, it is imperial, and this Russia desires to re-establish the Russian empire and a post-Soviet Union sort of state,” Morawiecki mentioned.

“We can not see a state of affairs the place there is a retreat to enterprise as typical. Ladies and kids are dying. Russia [commits] genocide in Ukraine and battle crimes. Not with this regime,” he added.

“Putin is a battle legal and what he is liable for in Ukraine is just past one’s creativeness. I feel we should always create a global tribunal to hint the crimes and make justice once more when the battle is over.”

Morawiecki spoke with Euronews’ Efi Koutsokosta on the finish of a global donors’ convention that he co-hosted with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Warsaw. 

The convention raised €6 billion to assist ongoing humanitarian efforts throughout Ukraine.

“We gathered greater than anticipated,” Morawiecki mentioned. “However this sum of money isn’t adequate, isn’t ample for the large wants in Ukraine, given the atrocious battle that is occurring and on.”

Through the interview, the Polish PM spoke at size about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which he described as “brutal,” and the geopolitical implications for all the continent.

Because the battle broke out on 24 February, Poland has been on the forefront of the worldwide condemnation towards the Kremlin, calling for weapons deliveries and the harshest potential set of EU sanctions.

“I consider the battle goes to be over sooner somewhat than later. Nevertheless it all depends upon the braveness and willpower of the Ukrainian nation. So all of us ought to be pleased about the large bravery and braveness and for what they’re doing to defend their sovereignty and freedom,” he mentioned.

“We all know they’re defending, on the barricades, not solely their freedom but additionally the safety and peace of the entire Europe.”

Morawiecki dismissed Russia’s nuclear threats as a “signal of their weak spot” and mentioned the Kremlin will assume “twice” earlier than increasing the army aggression in the direction of neighbouring international locations like Moldova. 

“However no person is aware of as a result of that is within the hand of the leaders of Kremlin,” he conceded. 

‘Greater international locations wished to procrastinate’

The prime minister spoke a day after the European Fee proposed a gradual EU-wide ban on Russian oil imports to deprive the Kremlin of one in every of its important sources of income.

The ban is seen because the EU’s most radical transfer thus far and has raised considerations amongst some extremely dependent international locations, together with Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, who now demand a extra protracted timeline to introduce the measure.

“Frankly talking, there are completely different international locations in numerous positions when it comes to dependency on oil and gasoline, and we perceive this,” Morawiecki mentioned when requested concerning the negotiations on the oil ban.

“There are discussions with the European Fee about what the interim durations could possibly be. Nonetheless, they don’t seem to be going to dam these sanctions, so far as I do know.”

The battle has uncovered the EU’s entrenched dependency on Russian power, constructed underneath the belief that nearer commerce tries with Moscow would have introduced the nation nearer to the West. The long-held perception crumbled in a single day when Russian troops entered Ukraine and commenced bombing cities.

Final week, Russian power firm Gazprom knowledgeable Poland and Bulgaria that it could halt gasoline provides to the 2 international locations.

“I’ve all the time advocated for the harshest set of sanctions. So I do know what I am speaking about,” the PM mentioned.

“We must always not search for any type of scapegoat or pinpoint at this or that nation as a result of we all know there have been a lot greater international locations that have been making an attempt to cease, to decelerate, to postpone, to procrastinate,” Morawiecki added, in an apparently veiled reference to Germany, a rustic usually accused of enabling Putin’s regime via a coverage of appeasement.

Till the very week when the battle broke out, Germany had vigorously defended the legitimacy of Nord Stream 2, an underwater conduit to convey extra Russian gasoline straight into the nation. The controversial challenge was launched in 2015, a 12 months after Russia annexed Crimea.

“There have been international locations which have been so dependent and wished to be extra depending on Russian gasoline, and everyone is aware of who they’re,” the Polish PM mentioned.

“They have been short-sighted as a result of they could not have imagined what was going to occur with this dependency. And Putin used this as a blackmail vis-à-vis the remainder of the European Union.”