Radoslaw Sikorski: Sanctions against Russia should have been slapped year ago

The West has made several mistakes in solving the Ukrainian crisis.

It has been stated by the Foreign Minister of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski in an interview to Rzeczpospolita.

- How do you think, will Moscow recognize the results of the election in Ukraine?

- Chancellor Merkel and the US are doing their best to persuade President Putin to recognize it – both by requests and threats.

- What kind of threats?

- By the third stage of sanctions.

- When the EU is going to decide whether Moscow has crossed the red line, where the third stage of these serious economic sanctions starts?

- Preliminary at the session of the European Council in Brussels on May 27.

- Does it mean that in case Russia does not recognize the election results, there would be discussion on the third phase of the sanctions?

- The discussion is underway already. We will see whether there would be a decision. I remind that this red line had been set by President Obama and Chancellor Merkel. Everything depends on the developments of affairs in Ukraine. The trend should be towards withdrawal of the Russian troops from the Ukrainian border, recognition of the results of the election and establishing the dialogue with the government in Kyiv.

Those who think Germany is the only or even the greatest deterrent in imposing sanctions against Russia make a mistake. There are countries much more skeptical about this issue than Germany. But I do not conceal that as Europe, we have made a couple of mistakes in solving the Ukrainian crisis. When Ukraine fell a victim to the Russian trade boycott in August 2013, there was no answer to Russia from the EU. Sanctions were simply unthinkable then. And today we do not just discuss sanctions, we impose them.