Radoslaw Sikorski was on the end of a ticking off from PM Ewa Kopacz
this week after a US article attributed a controversial comment to him
in which he claimed that Vladimir Putin had proposed Poland and Russia
divide Ukraine between them.
The comment was picked up by the international press and Mr. Sikorski found himself at the centre of a media storm which intensified in Poland when he claimed that he had been misrepresented in the article.
The article which appeared on the US website Politico.com on Monday claimed Mr. Sikorski had told them that in Moscow in 2008 Vladimir Putin had proposed to then Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Russia and Poland divide Ukraine between them. Mr. Tusk was reported to have remained silent partly because, so the article claimed, he was aware the conversation was being recorded.
Mr. Sikorski admitted that he had not been at the meeting between Mr. Putin and Mr. Tusk but that he had become aware of the offer. Mr. Sikorski said that the comments he had made to journalist Ben Judah had been ‘over-inflated’. The situation was clearly not helped when Mr. Sikorski appeared before journalists in the Sejm the following day and ducked questions on the Politico article instead referring journalists to an interview he had then given to Wyborcza.pl.
In that Mr. Sikorski told Wyborcza’s Renata Grochal that the problem had come from the journalist’s failure to ‘authorise’ the article with him before publishing. “I spoke on the phone with Ben Judah. I do not blame the lack of authorisation (of the article by Mr. Sikorski – ed), because there is no such culture in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Ben Judah is a reliable journalist, but as it turns out, some things could have been clarified in the authorisation’.
Opponents of Mr. Sikorski pounced on the opportunity to criticise the man who is widely respected for the way he fulfilled his role as Foreign Minister for the last seven years. A spokesman for the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) said that his party were considering proposing a motion to have Mr. Sikorski dismissed as Speaker of the Sejm.
Donald Tusk, who was criticised for not speaking publically on the issue before appearing before reporters on Friday, said that the conversation had not happened and that he had not even met Mr. Putin privately in Moscow in 2008. He went onto defend his former colleague however, saying Mr. Sikorski’s actions should be considered against the job he had performed throughout his time as Foreign Minister. “I am convinced that the balance of his achievements is absolutely positive. He is considered an outstanding politician in Poland and Europe and extremely talented” Mr. Tusk said noting that he considered the episode now closed.
Mr. Tusk’s successor Ewa Kopacz was not as generous with her opinion however. She told reporters that she didn’t think Mr. Sikorski had handled the situation at all well and that she had warned him about his future dealings with the press. (Source: http://www.newpolandexpress. pl /polish_news_story-6923-sikorski_slammed_for_interview_.php)
The comment was picked up by the international press and Mr. Sikorski found himself at the centre of a media storm which intensified in Poland when he claimed that he had been misrepresented in the article.
The article which appeared on the US website Politico.com on Monday claimed Mr. Sikorski had told them that in Moscow in 2008 Vladimir Putin had proposed to then Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Russia and Poland divide Ukraine between them. Mr. Tusk was reported to have remained silent partly because, so the article claimed, he was aware the conversation was being recorded.
Mr. Sikorski admitted that he had not been at the meeting between Mr. Putin and Mr. Tusk but that he had become aware of the offer. Mr. Sikorski said that the comments he had made to journalist Ben Judah had been ‘over-inflated’. The situation was clearly not helped when Mr. Sikorski appeared before journalists in the Sejm the following day and ducked questions on the Politico article instead referring journalists to an interview he had then given to Wyborcza.pl.
In that Mr. Sikorski told Wyborcza’s Renata Grochal that the problem had come from the journalist’s failure to ‘authorise’ the article with him before publishing. “I spoke on the phone with Ben Judah. I do not blame the lack of authorisation (of the article by Mr. Sikorski – ed), because there is no such culture in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Ben Judah is a reliable journalist, but as it turns out, some things could have been clarified in the authorisation’.
Opponents of Mr. Sikorski pounced on the opportunity to criticise the man who is widely respected for the way he fulfilled his role as Foreign Minister for the last seven years. A spokesman for the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) said that his party were considering proposing a motion to have Mr. Sikorski dismissed as Speaker of the Sejm.
Donald Tusk, who was criticised for not speaking publically on the issue before appearing before reporters on Friday, said that the conversation had not happened and that he had not even met Mr. Putin privately in Moscow in 2008. He went onto defend his former colleague however, saying Mr. Sikorski’s actions should be considered against the job he had performed throughout his time as Foreign Minister. “I am convinced that the balance of his achievements is absolutely positive. He is considered an outstanding politician in Poland and Europe and extremely talented” Mr. Tusk said noting that he considered the episode now closed.
Mr. Tusk’s successor Ewa Kopacz was not as generous with her opinion however. She told reporters that she didn’t think Mr. Sikorski had handled the situation at all well and that she had warned him about his future dealings with the press. (Source: http://www.newpolandexpress. pl /polish_news_story-6923-sikorski_slammed_for_interview_.php)
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