President Biden free to be ‘braver’ with no election to win says Poland’s foreign minister

We spoke to Poland’s Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski and started by asking if he is worried that Joe Biden is possibly no longer focusing on Ukraine – which is Poland’s priority – now that he’s a lame duck President.

Radek Sikorski: He made a dignified speech to the United Nations in which the issue of Ukraine was strong and loud and clear. And actually, the fact that he’s not running in this particular case strengthens his hand because he can afford to be braver.

Matt Frei: But was he braver in his speech?

Radek Sikorski: I thought he was firm. And it’s his decision to release packets of military assistance, to decide on rules of engagement. So he can still make a difference.

Matt Frei: But the answer so far for the kind of weapons that the Ukrainians want to hit targets, military targets, inside Russia is still no.

Radek Sikorski: But the Ukrainians are using their own indigenous weapons very effectively in the last few days. And this is one of the things that I learned in Kiev two weeks ago, namely that they have some spare capacity in making those sea and long range drones. They need money for components. And here I think we could help.

Matt Frei: When you look across Europe, I know the AfD didn’t win the elections in Brandenburg, but they did pretty well and they could do very well next year. They are not in favour of supporting Ukraine. Here the Republicans are very lukewarm about supporting Ukraine. The geopolitical climate here and in Europe is moving in the opposite direction to where you would like it to be.

Radek Sikorski: I don’t think so. Polls I’ve seen showed that the Republican base is actually quite firm on Ukraine. And I think one of the reasons that President Trump gave the amber light for the $60 billion package that was finally passed in Congress was that he saw that the cause of Ukraine is actually quite popular within his party.

Matt Frei: But is enough being done militarily to help the Ukrainians to actually do more than just not lose, but actually win?

Radek Sikorski: Well, Poland is doing its bit. 4.3 per cent of GDP, $4.3 billion, Poland alone.

Matt Frei: One of the highest percentages in Nato, if not the highest?

Radek Sikorski: The highest, including the United States. And we are going higher next year, 4.7 per cent. Because when the Russians threaten us, we trust them…

Matt Frei: And others are not following your lead.

Radek Sikorski: Yes, they are. Two thirds of the allies are now spending two per cent. But I agree two per cent was good in peacetime and we are not in peacetime anymore.

Matt Frei: And finally, how much does the issue of Lebanon and Gaza distract from the war that you care about most, which is the one in Ukraine?

Radek Sikorski: Well, there is a horrible war in Sudan as well, obviously…

Matt Frei: But in terms of issues, because a lot of people are accusing the West of double standards. Support for Israel and not enough support for Ukraine, to the Ukrainians themselves.

Radek Sikorski: No, I don’t think it’s a double standard at all. We need to stay the course to end this colonial war. Russia is not entitled to rebuild the Russian empire. The time of European imperialism is over, and we need to convince Putin that he cannot achieve his aims at an acceptable cost. Only then will he quit.

Matt Frei: And how many more years will this take?

Radek Sikorski: Britain’s colonial wars usually took about a decade. It was the same for the French or the Portuguese. Let’s hope that this one takes less.