USA wants lasting peace in Ukraine, says Polish FM
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has left the meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio under the impression that the United States was committed to lasting peace in Ukraine.
The two met in Washington on Friday to discuss efforts to bring end to Russia's war against Ukraine.
Following the talks, Sikorski told a briefing at the Polish embassy that the meeting with Rubio was "substantive and cordial". "This was a good conversation between close allies."
Asked about his take on the US negotiation tactics regarding Ukraine, Sikorski replied that he was under the impression that "the United States was committed to lasting peace". As for security guarantees for Ukraine, he said that "it was all about Ukraine being able to determine its future". But, he added, any potential presence of European troops in Ukraine under such guarantees was not part of his discussion with Rubio.
Sikorski announced that he invited Rubio to visit Poland, and that the invitation was accepted. He added that Rubio could potentially be an honorary guest at the global conference of Polish ambassadors scheduled for July.
He added that his conversation with Rubio regarded the future of the US partnership with Ukraine, as well as Rubio's contacts with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but he did not give any further details. He said, however, that "sooner or later" Europe would join the negotiations of the peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.
Sikorski also reported that he spoke with Rubio about the presence of US troops in Poland and encouraged the US administration to leave them in "at least the same number”. He admitted that some US soldiers could be withdrawn from Europe due to the Pentagon's planned budget cuts.
PAP learned from a diplomatic source that Sikorski had a "very good" discussion at the US Department of State and that it reinforced Poland's status as the United States' privileged partner in Europe.
During the briefing, Sikorski confirmed President Andrzej Duda's planned visit to the US. "I very much hope for President Duda to strengthen Poland's voice regarding fair peace in Ukraine," he said. "President Duda is friends with President Trump, so this is a moment to use this friendship for the benefit of Poland, of Europe," he added.
Duda and Trump will meet on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), near Washington, where Trump is set to appear on Saturday. The meeting is planned to take place at 1:30pm (local time) (7:30pm in Poland) on Saturday. Its details are still being agreed upon.
The unannounced meeting of Duda and Trump will be held a day after the Polish president spoke on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. (PAP)
wpb/mmr
