On Thursday 6 February, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, expressed his support for the idea of setting up a “rearmament bank ” whose shareholders would be European Union Member States, on a voluntary basis, as well as third countries with views similar to those of the EU, such as “Norway, the United Kingdom and Japan”.
In the mind of Mr Sikorski, who was speaking in Brussels to a group of journalists including Agence Europe, this financial institution could be inspired by the example of the EBRD, which was created at the end of the Cold War to support the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their transition to a market economy, but the remit of which does not include the military sector.
Having made security in all its dimensions the priority of its Presidency of the EU Council, Poland believes that a rapid European solution is needed to help EU countries invest in the military field, in particular to continue military support for Ukraine (see EUROPE 13543/15).
“If we wait for the new Multiannual Financial Framework, the problem is that (Vladimir) Putin might not wait”, said the Polish minister, convinced that the Member States’ rearmament efforts constitute an “insurance policy” for the future. In his view, in addition to the idea of setting up a dedicated bank, other funding possibilities at European level are as follows: - increased contributions from Member States to the EU budget; - a reallocation of European funds intended for other policies; - the mobilisation of unspent European aid under the post-Covid-19 recovery plans; - a common European loan.
Asked whether Poland was prepared to buy European military equipment to promote the EU’s strategic autonomy, the former chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the United States said that the notion of strategic autonomy in itself implied a kind of “competition” with the United States.
What is needed is “strategic harmony” with Washington, explained Mr Sikorski, noting that the United States has “global responsibilities” but has become “reluctant to save us in every emergency”. Hence the importance of spending “at least 2%” of national GDP on defence, even if, he pointed out, this figure was valid “in peacetime”. In 2025, Poland is expected to spend 4.7% of its GDP on defence.
New European sanctions. The Polish Presidency of the Council is currently negotiating with Member States on a sixteenth package of European sanctions against Russia, which it hopes to have approved by the third anniversary of the military aggression against Ukraine on 24 February.
The Polish minister said that his country, along with the Baltic states, was looking for ways to further sanction the Russian ‘ghost fleet’ used by the Kremlin to circumvent international sanctions targeting Russian oil. It is frustrating to note that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does not allow these “old and uninsured” vessels to be boarded in international waters, he said. In search of “urgent solutions”, the Polish Presidency therefore wants the EU to directly sanction the captains of these vessels.
Mr Sikorski also gave his support to the Czech Republic’s initiative to restrict the movements of the 2,000 Russian diplomats and their families to the territory of the EU country that accredited them (see EUROPE 13431/20), a measure that Poland has already taken. There is no need for legislation at European level for this, but only “national decisions”, he noted, pointing to “consensus” among national intelligence services in favour of such a measure.
Asked about a possible political solution to the war in Ukraine, the head of Polish diplomacy hoped that 2025 would be “decisive”. In his view, it is necessary to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin loses his imperialist gamble. He described the idea of negotiating access to Ukrainian rare earths with the United States as “creative”, because it also implies the question of security guarantees for Ukraine.
“Ukraine should be a participant in anything that concerns Ukraine. There can be no Yalta Conference in the 21st century”, stressed Mr Sikorski, referring to the conference at which Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt settled the fate of Europe in February 1945.
Trade tensions. Asked about the EU’s position in the event of a trade war unleashed by the Trump administration, the Polish politician did not oppose the idea of making tangible proposals to Washington to avoid new tariff barriers. The EU could in this way buy even more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Americans, he admitted. The minister noted that importing this energy would make it possible to diversify suppliers and therefore be less dependent on a gas pipeline.
Finally, Mr Sikorski stated that, at the request of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, he would be speaking on behalf of the EU at the United Nations Security Council in New York in late February. He will also chair bilateral ministerial meetings with Pakistan, Zimbabwe and, potentially, Sri Lanka. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)