Polish President Karol Nawrocki told the UN General Assembly that Russia is destabilising Europe through open aggression, insisting Poland is not the party seeking confrontation.
Key facts
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki addressed the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
- Nawrocki said 'Russia is destabilising the situation in Europe through open aggression'.
- He stated 'We are not the ones seeking confrontation'.
- His remarks came shortly before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due to address the UNGA.
- No public comment had been made by Zelenskyy or Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha at the time of reporting.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to accuse Russia of destabilising Europe, while making clear that Poland is not pursuing a confrontation. ‘We are not the ones seeking confrontation,’ Nawrocki said during his UN address, according to the Guardian.
In his remarks, Nawrocki said that ‘Russia is destabilising the situation in Europe through open aggression’, framing Moscow as the source of instability on the continent.
The comments came at a moment of heightened attention on the war in Ukraine, with the General Assembly serving as a platform for world leaders to set out their positions on the conflict and wider European security.
According to the Guardian, the address came just hours after a fresh round of attacks, and shortly before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was scheduled to deliver his own speech to the General Assembly.
The Guardian reported that Zelenskyy was likely to reflect on the latest attacks during his UN speech later. At the time of reporting, there had been no public comment from Zelenskyy or Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha.
The sequencing of the addresses placed European and Ukrainian leaders back to back at the UNGA, underscoring the prominence of the war in Ukraine and Russian actions in the assembly’s discussions.
Why it matters
Poland is a frontline NATO and EU member bordering Ukraine, so its president's framing of Russia as the aggressor carries weight in debates over European security. The remarks, delivered on the world's biggest diplomatic stage just before Ukraine's own address, signal how European leaders are positioning themselves on the conflict.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Polish president say about Russia at the UN?
Karol Nawrocki said 'Russia is destabilising the situation in Europe through open aggression' and stated 'We are not the ones seeking confrontation' during his address to the UN General Assembly.
Did Ukraine respond to the latest attacks?
According to the Guardian, there had been no public comment from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha at the time of reporting.
When was Zelenskyy due to speak at the UN?
The Guardian reported that Zelenskyy was scheduled to address the UN General Assembly just hours after the latest attacks, following Nawrocki's remarks, and was likely to reflect on those attacks.