“We are launching the special billboard campaign #StopRussiaNow to awaken consciences,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told the media. 

“What is happening on the streets of Ukrainian cities shook our conscience, but for too short a time. Our partners in western and southern Europe want to return to normality too soon […] We remember Russian enslavement well, what it is like to live under someone else’s boot [so] we have a special mandate to awaken consciences in western Europe,” he continued, adding that “Germany, France, Austria and Italy must do as much as possible to stop the war and end funding for Putin’s war machine.”

The EU has already imposed several sanctions against Russia and Russian individuals as retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. However, the government in Warsaw has unequivocally argued for tougher measures, saying that existing ones have not been sufficient to do Vladimir Putin and his people.

“We need crushing sanctions, much stronger than those that have been imposed so far,” Morawiecki said to the press. “Our job is to convince our partners in Western Europe to act faster and stronger for a free Ukraine,” he argued. 

The Polish head of government criticised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for prioritising business interests over Ukrainian victims and French President Emmanuel Macron for trying to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. 

Official government sources reveal that in addition to placing billboards in western European cities, the new campaign will also feature conferences organised by Polish diplomats with the presence of Ukrainian ambassadors, the government revealed.

Image: Twitter (@MorawieckiM)

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen