MUST WATCH: Sikorski in brutal and beautiful takedown of Putin and Trump.

OMG, we needed that. The Polish Foreign Minister's speech in the U.N. yesterday is the strongest, most ‘efficient’, in parts even poetic, political rhetoric I have heard for decades. Thank you, Radek.

BY MICHAEL ANDERSEN

It is said that journalism is the first draft of history - the Polish Foreign Minister was himself a journalist before he went into politics. And Radek Sikorki’s speech yesterday will go down in history as a strong indictment of not just the Putin regime, but also of the Western politicians who stayed silent or changed their mind and policies along the way. Those who are now trying to ‘normalize’ an invasion of a neighboring country.

“…What we need is a return to basics, to questions about what's right and what's wrong, what's true and what's false, what's actually happened and what's just a figment of propaganda,” Sikorski said, each word delivered in a pointed manner.

You listen when Sikorski speaks. Not only does the Pole know his history. Or rather, maybe it is because he is Polish that Sikorski knows his history, his country’s bitter history with Russia. And maybe more of us should brush up on that part of history - whether we are Polish or not - before it is too late.

Over eight minutes, Sikorski built a monument of shame for U.S. President Donald Trump and all who support him in selling out Ukraine.

He reminded the world about how only three years ago a U.N. resolution condemning the Russian invasion and stressing Ukraine’s territorial integrity was supported by almost the whole world - 141 countries. The only countries voting against the resolution back then, in March 2022, were Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and the now deposed regime in Syria - “quite the company,” Sikorski remarked with icy irony.

Yesterday, by bitter contrast, a similar resolution condemning the Russian invasion was voted on: now 18 countries voted against. Among them Russia, Belarus - now joined by the United States of America.

(U.N. resolution February 24, 2025)

This means that in three years, 13 more countries have come to believe that Russia invading Ukraine is somehow acceptable, understandable, ‘life’, ‘just politics’ or however these governments justify it. It is an astonishing turnaround against freedom, democracy and territorial integrity. Most astonishing of all, of course, in the White House.

2,400 years ago, the Athenian historian Thucydides - ‘the father of the theory of political realism and self-interest’ - said: “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” After the Second World War, clever Western state leaders created the U.N., NATO and other organizations with the goal of avoiding such horrors in the future.

For 80 years - not least because of U.S. leadership - this system has worked well in Europe and North America, and between East and West during the Cold War. In fact, NATO-EU axis is literally the most successful ‘peace experiment’ in world history. But today, after 80 years, some governments are challenging this system harder than it has ever been challenged, believing that violence and the might of the stronger can again be justified.

“Opinions in this body began to shift - not because facts have changed. They are changing because of self-interests. Some of our member states now seem to believe that ending the war at any cost and restoring business as usual with Russia will be beneficial,” Sikorki said.

Such appeasement is a mistake, explained Sikorski.

“As a representative of a country neighboring both Russia and Ukraine, I can tell you it will not. By normalizing relations with Moscow, you would be entrusting your security and economic stability to an autocrat and a war criminal in an international environment much more unstable than it was a decade ago.”

He then went on to warn that Putin’s ‘little green men’ are already messing about in many regions of the world, as Putin’s mafiosi regime is searching for new riches. Next time - for there will be a next time till Putin is stopped, warned Sikorski - could be anywhere in Eastern Europe, the Polish Foreign Minister warned, but it could also be in the Middle East or Africa.

”The mission of this body (the U.N.) from its foundation has been to decolonize, not to recolonize. The international community cannot appease aggression - because violence reproduces by indifference. The basic facts that prompted a strong, unified reaction three years ago have remained unchanged. And when the facts don’t change, we should stick to our guns.”

Please - SHARE Sikorski’s speech as widely as you can. His words could actually make a difference; make some people think before it is too late (yes, I am not least looking at you, any still-not-gone-completely-mad Republicans in the U.S.).