Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski declared on 31 October 2026 that the Russia-Ukraine war cannot be resolved without Kyiv's direct participation, insisting that any peace settlement imposed by outside powers would be 'simply not doable.' His remarks came during a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Washington.

Sikorski Rejects Bypassing Ukraine and Europe

When asked whether a proposed trilateral meeting involving the United States, China, and Russia to seek an end to the conflict had been discussed, Sikorski said plainly: 'No, it wasn't.' He argued that both Ukraine and Europe retained meaningful leverage over any eventual settlement, pointing to Europe's role in sustaining Kyiv's war effort through frozen Russian assets, financial assistance, and procurement of American weapons, equipment and ammunition for Ukraine. 'Europe also has cards,' he said.

The War in Context: Fifth Year of Full-Scale Fighting

Sikorski noted that the full-scale war is now in its fifth year, while Russia's broader effort to seize the Donbas region has been ongoing for 13 years. He said Russia's offensive had come at a heavy cost in troops and that Ukraine had recovered territory. Responding to concerns that Western pressure might push Kyiv toward an unfavourable settlement, Sikorski was unequivocal: 'And we need to stay the course.' He added that Russia was counting on further mobilisation and winter conditions, and that sustaining Ukraine through winter was Europe's most effective response — one he said Europe was already delivering.

Energy Leverage and US Sanctions Pressure

On the question of energy, Sikorski tied any future Russian return to European energy markets — once Russia's most lucrative export destination — to a fair end to its war against Ukraine. He noted that most European countries had sharply reduced energy purchases from Russia, imposing a financial cost on Moscow for pursuing the conflict. Russia, he said, was now selling energy elsewhere at a steep discount. Poland, he added, had no intention of becoming dependent on energy from a country that invaded its neighbours. Asked whether the United States had pressured Europe over sanctions, Sikorski replied directly: 'No, it didn't pressure us.'

Russian Hybrid Warfare Allegations

Sikorski levelled serious allegations of Russian hybrid activity across Europe, accusing Moscow of waging a campaign in which people had died, including in Poland. He alleged that Russian armed drones had flown over NATO territory, that a Russian cruise missile had exploded approximately 100 kilometres inside Poland, and that Russia had sent armed drones to target a civilian airport in Germany as well as 21 decoys into Polish airspace. Describing these as 'highly provocative and dangerous acts,' he defined hybrid warfare as involving physical attacks that fall below the threshold of a formal invasion. Sikorski rejected matching such tactics with assassinations or arson: 'We are not going to do what they do.'

Patriot Missile Servicing Centre and the Road Ahead

The minister also welcomed plans by Lockheed Martin to establish a centre in Poland to service Patriot missiles, calling it a meaningful step in the country's defence posture. This comes amid broader NATO discussions on sustaining air-defence infrastructure closer to the eastern flank. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022; the European Union has since expanded sanctions first imposed following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, targeting finance, energy, and trade. Whether Europe's resolve holds through another winter will be a defining test of the Western coalition's staying power.