‘Larger countries should not take over smaller ones’: Poland reacts to Greenland row; cites EU position

The Polish foreign minister and deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, on the Greenland acquisition push, stated Poland's position, saying Poland backs the principle that borders and national sovereignty must not be violated. He stressed that larger countries should not be encouraged to absorb smaller territories.

Speaking to TOI about the seeming split between Europe and the US, over the Greenland bid, he said, "We don’t believe that larger countries should be encouraged to take over the territories of smaller countries. Poland, along with the majority of the European Union, upholds the principle of inviolability of borders and national sovereignty."



On growing differences between Europe and the US Trump administration, Sikorski was more circumspect. He simply categorised the US’s aggressive tariffs as something that Poland doesn’t like.

Sikorski’s broader messaging during his India visit underscored Poland’s consistent emphasis on international law, borders and sovereignty. “I want to assure you that Poland and India are countries that are interested in upholding the principles of international law. Both of our countries condemn the crossing of international borders, either by tanks or by terrorists. Both India and Poland are victims of transnational terrorism, and therefore we condemn it in the strongest terms,” stated Sikorski, who wrapped up his visit on Jan 19 after meetings with external affairs minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval.

Acknowledging that India and Poland have different views on the war in Ukraine, Sikorski said this was a product of the two countries’ respective histories, but added that New Delhi and Warsaw still found it useful to exchange views. “We hope that President Putin will finally admit that the invasion of Ukraine was a costly criminal mistake and end this war which is right now keeping people freezing in Kyiv in temperatures that go below zero with power and heating plants being deliberately targeted. I am confident that India will be among those countries that will urge the perpetrator of this act of aggression towards settling it without much delay.”

Notably, Sikorski’s comments come after a sharp exchange with Jaishankar earlier in the day when the external affairs minister brought up the selective targeting of India in the context of the Ukraine war.

Poland has emerged as a key European nation in the context of the Ukraine war, taking in a large number of temporary Ukrainian refugees since 2022 and serving as a critical logistics hub for the shipment of military aid to Ukraine. India and Poland elevated their bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership in 2024 during PM Modi’s visit to Warsaw.