“Europe could implode because of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine deserves all the support of France because it is fighting for the most important European values. The West should listen to Eastern Europe regarding Russia”, said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki after a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.
“We discussed the geopolitical background of Russian aggression in Ukraine, how to stop it as soon as possible and how to force Russian troops to withdraw. But we also talked about the indirect effects of the war, especially the disruption of the energy market and inflation. They are the challenges of today, we must respond to them and find solutions”, assessed the Prime Minister in an interview with Le Figaro.
The head of the Polish government said that he had called on Emmanuel Macron to suspend the ETS (the European CO2 emissions trading scheme) for a while to create a respite for European economies.
The Polish Prime Minister added that the two leaders had differences on the conflict, but that they both believed that the unity of Europe should be defended, as this was a precondition for the adoption of additional sanctions.
“Nothing will happen without the unanimity of 27 countries. So, my goal is to try to find common ground”, he pointed out.
Asked what he would have done if Poland, not France, had presided over the EU in the past six months, Mateusz Morawiecki said he would have strengthened sanctions against Russia, including proposing the confiscation of assets of Russian oligarchs and the Russian Federation which could be used to lower energy costs for French, German or Polish taxpayers.
“It is natural that countries on NATO’s eastern flank have a much better understanding of Russia than countries such as France, which are geographically distant or have traditional ties with it and even a certain natural inclination towards Moscow. In such a context, it is important to have more frequent discussions with Poland, but also with Lithuania, Finland and other Central European countries”, said the Prime Minister.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński