Polish President Kaczyński to have man-to-man talk with Sikorski

Reports about detentions of the Union of Poles’ activists in Belarus are being discussed by the government and mass media of Poland since morning.

Actions of Belarusian policemen are called “war with Belarusian Poles” and “a real manhunt”. The Foreign Ministry of Poland holds a special consultation with participation of Minister Radoslaw Sikorski dedicated to this problem.

As said by Marek Bucko, Secretary of “Freedom and Democracy” foundation, the European Union has only two ways of influence on Belarus: economic sanctions and “exit” sanctions. As Bucko believes, imposing economic embargo would be most effective, as 50% of Belarusian export goes to the EU. Besides, the EU should expand the number of Belarusian officials restricted to go abroad. As said by the former Polish diplomat, who was once expelled from Belarus, Europe looks at Lukashenka quite naively, thinking he is a president who can keep his word.

The former deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Pawel Kowal, now a deputy of the Polish Parliament (Law and Justice party) underlines that the Polish policy “of a softer approach” in the relations with the Belarusian leadership has ended in a fiasco. The Belarusian regime viewed that not as a good will gesture, but as a sign of weakness.

Lukashenka either does not control the situation in his country, and policemen are ding what they want here (and in this case it is an illusion such a policy could be successful), or he is disloyal partner. Pawel Kowal also believes, that sanctions against Lukashenka’ regime are needed. To call a ban for entering the EU for a few dozens of Belarusian officials sanctions is an overstatement, the Polish politician said.

The Law and Justice party is going a special statement concerning mass detentions of Belarusian Poles. In their turn, the Democratic Left Alliance has offered to call a session of the parliamentary commission on foreign affairs and summon the Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski to the session. Polish MPs do not exclude that they will address the Council of Europe.

Lech Kaczyński has invited the Foreign Minister to the Presidential Palace at 4 p.m. to discuss the situation related to the arrests of the Polish minority representatives in Belarus.