Speaking before the United Nations, President Karol Nawrocki delivered a sharp rebuke of Moscow, insisting that Russia must end its war against Ukraine and bear full responsibility for the aggression. He stressed that those guilty of international crimes must face trial before competent courts.
Nawrocki dismissed Moscow’s claims of seeking peace, noting that “statements about dialogue are accompanied by military offensives and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, where the victims are civilians, including children.”
He argued that when Russia speaks of peace, “it means the capitulation of Ukraine,” insisting that any genuine peace talks must include Kyiv’s authorities and carry the mandate of the Ukrainian people.
The Polish president underlined that holding Russia accountable is a moral obligation. He reaffirmed Poland’s support for the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, and backed the idea of a special ad hoc tribunal to prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.
“Wars must never be profitable for aggressors. Victims deserve full redress – including from those who unleashed the Second World War,” he said.
Turning to the Middle East, Nawrocki called for intensified UN engagement and reiterated Poland’s support for a two-state solution, ensuring both Israelis and Palestinians the right to live in peace and security. He expressed concern over the aftermath of the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 and stressed that Israel, like every state, has the right to self-defence – but within the boundaries of international and humanitarian law.
The president also addressed growing security threats closer to home. He recalled the night of 9–10 September, when Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace.
“Dozens of drones violated my country’s borders deliberately. This was no accident on orders from the capital of a permanent member of the Security Council. For the first time since the Second World War, Poland was forced to open fire at hostile objects over our territory,” he said.
Nawrocki vowed that Poland will never bow to intimidation. He cited significant investments in defence capabilities and closer cooperation within the Bucharest Nine and the Three Seas Initiative. He warned that the Baltic states and Romania have also suffered Russian provocations.
“As the voice of our region, we say clearly: we will not tolerate Moscow’s attempts to provoke us, to test our reactions, or to intimidate our societies,” Nawrocki declared.
“I agree with US President Donald Trump that Europe has plunged into an ideological frenzy over migration and the Green Deal, and that it subsidised the Russian Federation by buying Russian gas,” said Polish President Karol Nawrocki in a speech to the UN General Assembly.
Nawrocki argued that Europe had made serious mistakes, adding that he shared Trump’s criticism of the continent’s governments.
“Yes, I agree with President Donald Trump that in recent years – something we as Poles warned against, and which was also highlighted by Central and Eastern Europe – Europe has sunk into an ideological mania that led to poor decisions on migration, into the green madness and the Green Deal, which is destroying economic, business and agricultural markets,” the president said.
“Yes, this same Europe – our friends and partners, with whom we wish to build a common European Union – for many years subsidised the Russian Federation by purchasing cheap Russian gas. We in Poland and Central Europe have long been aware of this, and we always welcome it when the leaders of Western Europe draw the right conclusions and listen to our voice,” Nawrocki added.
Source: PAP
Photo: Mikołaj Bujak @prezydentpl/X
Tomasz Modrzejewski
