Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski issued a sharp warning after reports revealed secret talks involving American and Russian figures about a potential deal that could pressure Ukraine to cede territory. He spoke to Polish broadcaster TVN24 and compared the reported initiative to the Nord Stream project. He described the situation as “like Nord Stream, but times a hundred” and highlighted the scale of the alleged effort.
He recalled that Russia and Germany built the Nord Stream pipelines to bypass states such as Poland and Ukraine. The move deprived them of transit revenue and increased Moscow’s regional influence. The pipelines suffered major explosions in September 2022. Western governments and Moscow both described the blasts as sabotage. The incident crippled the project and halted most Russian gas deliveries to Europe.
In November 2023, an international investigation identified Colonel Roman Chervinsky as the main coordinator of the Nord Stream attack. He previously served in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces. The findings added further tension to European energy and security debates.
Report links talks to plan benefiting Russia
Sikorski responded after The Wall Street Journal reported that US special envoy Steve Witkoff, former White House adviser Jared Kushner, and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev had held discussions. The talks reportedly explored a plan that could boost Russia’s economy by directing major American corporate contracts in energy and rare earth minerals towards Moscow. The report also suggested that some scenarios involved pushing Ukraine to surrender territory in exchange for lucrative US business opportunities.
Sikorski stressed that Poland would never support any arrangement trading Ukrainian territory for corporate interests. He warned that the situation poses serious risks for Europe and said the current moment features “a disturbing confluence of events.” He added that it remains unclear whether Washington intends to pursue a rapid settlement that harms Kiev. However, he noted that “serious people” are involved in the talks, which increases concern.
Poland rejects any territorial bargain
Sikorski also emphasised that the reported plan may not represent the official position of the US administration. He said that “not everyone would be content with it” and that many governments would reject any such deal. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also criticised the proposals. He told the Wall Street Journal that “this isn’t about peace” and argued that “this is about business.”
