Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau abstained from attending the gathering of EU Foreign Ministers in Kiev on Monday, and explained that his absence was, indeed, a mark of displeasure on Poland’s part. Speaking to the broadcaster Polsat, Rau was asked to explain why he sent Deputy FM Wojciech Gerwel instead.
He said that relations between the two neighbors are “entering a period of downturn and my absence is partly an expression of this.” He explained that relations with Kiev depend on “three dimensions,” geopolitics, national interests, and domestic support, and that Poland only agrees with Ukraine on the geopolitical goal of opposing Russia.
