File picture shows Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski signing coalition agreement in Warsaw, Poland, September 26, 2020. — Reuters pic
BERLIN, April 3 — Poland’s deputy prime minister accused France and Germany of being too close to Russia in an interview published today, as he condemned Berlin’s behaviour towards Moscow before the invasion of Ukraine.
“Germany, like France, has a strong bias in Moscow’s favour,” Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who is also leader of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, told German daily Die Welt in an interview.
Kaczynski saved his strongest words for Berlin.
“Over the years, the German government did not want to see what Russia was doing under the leadership of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and we see the result today,” Kaczynski said.
“Poland is not pleased with Germany’s role in Europe,” he added.
He rebuked Berlin for having sought to rebuild what the former 19th century chancellor Otto von Bismarck “had done… German domination but side by side with Russia”.
The Polish deputy prime minister condemned Berlin especially for failing to deliver enough weapons to Ukraine and refusing an embargo at least on the import of oil from Russia.
“It’s important to know that Russia gets four to five times more revenue from its oil sales than gas sales,” Kaczynski said.
“We cannot continue to permanently support a great power like Russia by paying it billions,” he added.
Before Russia’s invasion on February 24, Germany imported 55 per cent of its natural gas from Russia, half its coal and around 35 per cent of its oil. — AFP