Poland has no plans to take part in the war in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said, adding that Warsaw must focus on the security threat posed by an “aggressive Russia with an imperial ideology” at its doorstep.
In an interview with Polish daily Rzeczpospolita published on Thursday, Sikorski warned that the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, now entering its second week, could still pose risks for Europe and Poland.
Asked whether Tehran had posed a “direct threat” before the outbreak of hostilities, Sikorski said he had not seen one.
“The United States and Israel naturally have their own assessment of the situation, but I personally have not noticed a ‘direct threat’ to the United States, Europe or even Israel,” he said.
‘We have plenty to deal with here’
Sikorski ruled out Polish military involvement, saying Warsaw must focus on the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, as well as the wider security threat posed by Moscow.
He said: “Right now we have a war on our borders. We have an aggressive Russia with an imperial ideology sending drones into our airspace.
“We have plenty to deal with here, next to us.”
Poland previously took part in the 2003 US-led intervention in Iraq soon after joining NATO, a decision Sikorski said had been driven in part by the need to modernize the Polish military at the time.
Despite lingering geopolitical doubts about that mission, he said it helped transform a largely Soviet-equipped army into a more modern force with combat experience.
However, he suggested that lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan had made many Western countries more cautious about new interventions in the Middle East.
“The results of interventions in the broadly understood Middle East are mixed,” Sikorski said. “The forces and resources invested there, including by us, did not produce results we could be fully proud of.”
Could US use Polish bases?
Asked whether Warsaw could allow the United States to use bases against Tehran after Washington sought such access from some allies, Sikorski said: “We do not have such bases.”
He also dismissed speculation that the US missile defense site in Redzikowo in northern Poland – designed to counter potential missile threats – could play a role in the current conflict.
“The agreements that I negotiated and signed state that it is meant to detect and neutralize missiles that could threaten Europe and the United States,” the minister said. “Iran has not launched such missiles.”
But Sikorski warned that the conflict could still have indirect consequences for Poland, particularly via the impact on energy markets.
Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has halted most maritime traffic through the narrow waterway that normally carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
It has led to a 36% surge in global oil prices since the outbreak of hostilities, with benchmark Brent crude briefly topping about $119 a barrel before settling near $100 on Thursday.
Tehran’s retaliatory strikes on energy infrastructure across Gulf states – home to several US military bases – have compounded the crisis, prompting fears of prolonged higher energy costs worldwide.
To help stabilize markets, the United States is now considering easing some sanctions on Russian oil exports currently in transit. Sikorski said that an energy crisis could ultimately benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“A higher oil price is not positive for us and could be positive for Putin,” Sikorski said.