End of war possible when Putin realises he will not win – Polish Foreign Minister

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin will likely end the war against Ukraine only when he feels that he cannot win it, and it is dangerous to hope for any further agreements with Russia.

As reported by RMF24, Sikorski was asked whether any diplomatic methods of influencing Russia could be used to end the war in Ukraine. 

"The problem with president Putin is that he does not keep his word and is completely unreliable," Sikorski said. 

He reiterated that Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum, where it promised to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and violated it itself. 

"It's hard to believe a person who says, 'I broke those agreements, but don't worry, if I sign another one, I will respect it,'" Sikorski said. 

He also pointed out again the numerous diplomatic efforts of the West before the outbreak of a full-scale war, which failed to stop Putin. 

"It seems that Putin respects only pure economic and military power. And we have to use this 'currency' to convince him that the invasion was a mistake and he cannot win. Only then is there any chance for peace," Sikorski said.  

In turn, his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, added that she shares his view. "For two and a half years, half the world has been doing nothing but trying to convince Putin through diplomatic channels not to inflict even more suffering on Ukraine," she said.

Baerbock stressed the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia and monitoring compliance with those already in place. 

In a recent interview, Sikorski said he saw no reason to be concerned about the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

He also said that he "would not be surprised" if Russia decided to attack Poland in the future.