Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski expressed skepticism regarding Russian threats to use nuclear weapons. He stated, "The Americans have informed the Russians that if they detonate a nuclear device, even if it results in no casualties, we will strike all their positions in Ukraine with conventional weapons and destroy them completely."
In an interview with The Guardian, Sikorski emphasized the need for a "long-term rearmament of Europe" to counter Russian imperial ambitions. He advocated for majority voting on EU sanctions, the establishment of a 5,000-strong EU mechanized brigade, and supported an EU-wide initiative to incentivize Ukrainian draft dodgers to return to Ukraine.
Sikorski highlighted past decisions that now seem mistaken in hindsight: "We allowed production facilities to close after the Cold War, failing to invest in keeping production lines in reserve. This was part of the peace dividend, but now it appears to have been a mistake." He argued that Europe "not only disarmed but also deindustrialized in the defense sector."
Sikorski called for dropping the principle of unanimity in imposing sanctions, noting, "Sanctions have been delayed by individual member states blocking them. Additionally, violating EU sanctions should be a prosecutable offense under EU law."
On Ukraine's right to target military sites within Russia, Sikorski pointed out, "Russians are attacking Ukraine's electrical grid, grain terminals, gas storage, and other civilian infrastructures. Their operations are directed from Rostov-on-Don. Apart from not using nuclear weapons, Russia does not impose significant limits on its actions."
Sikorski reiterated his skepticism about Russian nuclear threats, emphasizing the firm stance of the United States: "The Americans have made it clear to the Russians that any use of nuclear weapons, regardless of the outcome, will prompt a devastating response with conventional weapons targeting all Russian positions in Ukraine."
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