Poland would be ready to take up arms against Russia if Ukraine were to lose the war, the Polish ambassador to France implied in a recent interview. After encountering harsh criticism, the Embassy sought to clarify the remarks, calling it only a “warning of consequences.”
Speaking to the French news channel on Saturday, March 18th, Ambassador Jan Emeryk Rościszewski was discussing the war in Ukraine and the need for NATO allies to ramp up support. “It is not NATO, Poland, France or Slovakia that are increasing tensions, it is Russia that has attacked Ukraine, it is Russia that invaded its territory, it is Russia that kills people,” he told the interviewer.
Then, Rościszewski made the remark that triggered much criticism in Poland and elsewhere: “If Ukraine fails to defend its independence, we will have no choice but to enter the conflict,” he said, adding that “our fundamental values, which are the cornerstone of our civilization, our culture will be in fundamental danger, so we don’t have a choice.”
After the comment, the ambassador found himself under a barrage of criticism from both sides of the political aisle. For instance, leftist MP Maciej Gdula, said the ambassador was “clearly exceeding his powers and should simply be removed from office,” while Krzysztof Bosak, one of the leaders of the far-right Confederation party, questioned the competence of the entire Polish diplomatic staff. “[The ruling PiS] put forward people with no experience in diplomacy as ambassadors, and they later say whatever comes to mind,” Bosak wrote.
In response, the Polish Embassy in Paris issued a statement seeking to clarify the ambassador’s words, arguing that the diplomat’s words were taken “out of context,” denying that he meant direct military involvement on Poland’s part.
“A careful listening to the whole conversation makes it clear that there was no announcement of direct involvement by Poland in the conflict,” the statement said, adding that the comment was meant as “only a warning of the consequences that a defeat of Ukraine could have.” The Foreign Ministry of Poland did not directly respond to the issue, only retweeted the Embassy’s statement.
The now widely-shared interview was set up after last week’s announcement that Poland will be transferring fighter jets to Ukraine, becoming the first country to do so (although it was later joined by Slovakia). In response to the news, a former minister and current MP for the National Rally, Thierry Mariani, accused Warsaw of “clearly trying to drag the European Union into an escalation.”
“It seems to me that it is extremely dangerous for Poland to deliver military aircraft to Kyiv,” Mariani said earlier. “Until now, the United States has not made such a decision. Warsaw is now going even further than Washington in supplying Ukraine with military equipment.”
