Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, has backed US President Joe Biden’s recent decision to greenlight Ukraine’s use of long-range ATACMS missiles against Russian targets.
This support comes as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticizes German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, “No one will stop Putin with phone calls.”
Sikorski sees Biden’s approval of the ATACMS missiles, which have a range of up to 300km—far greater than the 80km range of Ukraine’s previous HIMARS rockets—as a fitting response to Russia’s increasing military involvement, including the enlistment of North Korean troops and escalated missile strikes on Ukraine.
“With the entry into the war of North Korean troops and the massive attack of Russian missiles, President Biden responded in a language that V Putin understands,” Sikorski wrote on his X account, adding, “strength deters” and “weakness provokes.”
This support from Poland comes as Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukraine in mid-November, targeting critical infrastructure. Ukrainian President Zelensky reported that over 120 missiles and 90 drones were fired, highlighting the ongoing threat.
Tusk, in his own remarks, took issue with Scholz’s phone call to Putin, emphasizing that such diplomacy will not end the war: “No one will stop Putin with phone calls. The attack last night, one of the biggest in this war, has proved that telephone diplomacy cannot replace real support from the whole West for Ukraine.” He stressed that the coming weeks will be pivotal for the war’s outcome and for Europe’s future.
Scholz’s call with Putin marked the first direct contact in two years, where the German leader urged Russia to withdraw its troops and engage in peace talks with Ukraine. Tusk’s criticism reflects Poland’s longstanding frustration with Germany’s approach to Russia, accusing Berlin of being too lenient, especially under former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s leadership.
Since the war began in 2022, Poland has become a crucial hub for NATO’s military and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, while supplying substantial military aid.
