A Polish deputy foreign minister has said that inviting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to a meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Malta on December 5–6 was a mistake.
Poland’s Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski added that various scenarios are being considered regarding the response of Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to Lavrov’s presence.
Lavrov’s trip to Malta would be his first to an EU country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
When asked on Monday by Polish private broadcaster Radio Zet whether Sikorski planned to attend the Malta meeting or boycott the event, Bartoszewski said he believed a boycott was unlikely.
He said that “various scenarios” were being considered, such as downgrading the level of the Polish delegation or Sikorski walking out of the meeting.
Bartoszewski added: “The possible presence of Lavrov at the OSCE summit in Malta would be inappropriate, just like [German] Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s telephone calls to [Vladimir] Putin.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lavrov was subjected to sanctions by the U.S., the EU, the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan. However, as foreign minister, Lavrov retains the ability to enter the EU.
Lavrov’s trip to Malta would be his first to an EU country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
When asked on Monday by Polish private broadcaster Radio Zet whether Sikorski planned to attend the Malta meeting or boycott the event, Bartoszewski said he believed a boycott was unlikely.
He said that “various scenarios” were being considered, such as downgrading the level of the Polish delegation or Sikorski walking out of the meeting.
Bartoszewski added: “The possible presence of Lavrov at the OSCE summit in Malta would be inappropriate, just like [German] Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s telephone calls to [Vladimir] Putin.”
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lavrov was subjected to sanctions by the U.S., the EU, the UK, Canada, Australia and Japan. However, as foreign minister, Lavrov retains the ability to enter the EU.
