In an interview she recently gave to Visegrad24, Poland’s Plenipotentiary for Polish-Ukrainian relations Jadwiga Emilewicz spoke about the urgent need for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. “Ukraine wants to be back to its shape before 2014” – she explained.

Emilewicz criticised the approach of most Western European elites which underestimated the threat coming from Moscow. “Even before the war, the European Union decided not to create special storage systems for gas […] Poland should have stood up more against Western policy to Russia,” […] Only Polish policy, developed through the last eight years, prepared to enlarge the capacity for the storage of gas” – she explained.

The former Minister of Development praised the stance of her fellow Poles in the midst of the historical wave of refugees which arrived to her country in millions since the winter of 2022. “We have been touched by this war from the very first days […] We welcomed all those people, offering them not only shelter but also […] a special ID number allowing for the whole social support, the same we offer Polish citizens” – she recalled. 

When asked about the unfolding of the conflict, she expressed her optimism regarding a “Ukrainian victory” and drawing attention to “the bankruptcy of Russia.”  

Jadwiga Emilewicz further emphasised the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia and the West. “Russia definitely has larger ambitions in Europe. […] Putin’s idea is pure and simple: to rebuild Russia from the time of the Soviet Union or maybe, even better, from the time of the 19th century. This is[…] something we have to bear in mind when we deal with Russia” – she warned. 

Image: X @JEmilewicz

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen