Polish foreign minister calls for Eastern Europe and Scandinavia to join talks with Russia

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned European allies against negotiating with Russia to end the war in Ukraine without taking Eastern Europe’s interests into account. He spoke to journalists in Warsaw on 5 November 2026, according to the European news broadcaster Euronews. A representative of the broadcaster attended the discussion. The report of his remarks comes from Euronews; Flank had found no independent confirmation at the time of publication.

Warsaw wants countries bordering Russia to have a say

According to Euronews, Sikorski explicitly insists that Eastern Europe and Scandinavia must not be excluded from the talks. He bases his position on geographical proximity: Finland, Norway and the Baltic states border Russia, while Poland borders both Russia and Ukraine.

In another report, Euronews also quotes his call for legitimate European representation in the negotiations in accordance with the Treaty of Lisbon. That report draws on the work of the same journalist in Warsaw and does not constitute a second, independent confirmation.

The broadcaster also places Poland’s position in the context of Warsaw’s opposition to efforts to resume imports of Russian gas, but gives no details of specific proposals.

Warsaw warns against excluding the region from decisions

In Flank’s assessment, Warsaw is seeking to limit in advance the scope for decisions on regional security to be taken without the involvement of the countries most directly affected. The dispute concerns not only the terms of a possible agreement, but also who will help determine them.

The remarks alone do not prove that a negotiating format excluding Eastern European allies is being prepared. It is unclear which governments would participate and what terms are under discussion. The warning does not support a conclusion that Western Europe has already agreed concessions to Moscow or that a rift has emerged between the allies.