Video: Sikorski Responds to Lavrov's Statements on Ukraine at the UN Security Council
On September 23, during a meeting of the UN Security Council, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to statements made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov regarding the 2014 events in Ukraine and the status of the Russian language. The Polish minister stated that he was personally in Kyiv during those events and denied claims of a “coup d’état.”
“I was indeed there, and there was no coup. The President of Ukraine, Mr. Yanukovych, was removed from office by a decision of Ukraine’s democratically elected parliament, and representatives of his own Party of Regions, among others, voted in favor of this,” Sikorski said.
He also rejected Lavrov’s claim regarding an alleged “complete ban” on the Russian language in Ukraine. According to the Polish minister, shortly before his speech, he was in Kyiv during a Russian airstrike and was able to confirm that the Russian language is widely used there.
Sikorski also accused Russia of intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and spreading its methods of warfare to other European countries. Among other things, he cited airspace violations, sabotage, and covert operations, stating that Russia “deployed an armed drone at the Leipzig airport in Germany.”
Separately, the Polish minister stated that the Russian leadership is allegedly facing a shortage of troops and resources and is looking for a pretext for a new mobilization. At the same time, these statements by Sikorski represent his assessment of the situation.
At the end of his speech, the Polish minister stated that Russia continues to inflict significant damage but, in his opinion, is not capable of defeating Ukraine.
“After more than four years of a senseless colonial war, Vladimir Putin has achieved nothing. You have been trying to seize the Donbas for over 12 years and Kyiv for over four years. You were stopped by heroic Ukraine—a country whose GDP is one-tenth that of Russia’s. But Poland’s GDP is nearly half of yours. Europe’s GDP is ten times larger than yours,” Sikorski said.
In conclusion, he stated that Russia “can still kill countless people,” but cannot win the war against Ukraine.
Earlier, Sikorski announced the delivery of a record-breaking military aid package to Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Rubio met at the UN.
Lavrov also outlined another condition set by Russia for ending the war in Ukraine.
