Blinken welcomes Sikorski and praises Poland's leadership within NATO

Sweden's final hurdle to joining NATO was swept away on Monday after hold-out Hungary's ratification, ending 200 years during which Stockholm's military self-reliance helped it build a global brand as neutral peacemaker and human rights champion.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 left Swedes with a pivotal choice: join NATO or run the risk of standing alone against an increasingly aggressive near neighbour.

Secretary Blinken attributed Sweden's accession to the repercussions of Russia's President Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine, praising Poland's leadership within NATO.

"I think this only underscores yet again the strategic debacle that Putin's invasion or re-invasion of Ukraine has produced for Russia, a NATO alliance that is both stronger and larger, with the accession of both Finland and now Sweden," he said.

Blinken also stressed the importance of joint efforts aimed to help Ukraine "stand on its own two feet militarily, economically, democratically for many, many years to come".

"But from day one, it has been Poland, its leadership, its solidarity with Ukraine, its work within our NATO alliance that has made and continues to make a profound difference," he added.

"And so Radek (Sikorski), I know, will have occasion to talk about that as well, but we couldn't be more grateful both again, not just for the solidarity, but the leadership that Poland has shown when it comes to this aggression against so many of our interests and so many of our values," U.S. Secretary of State underscored.

Sikorski expressed gratitude for U.S. support, emphasizing the urgency of preventing further Russian aggression and Poland's commitment to NATO's objectives.

"Thank you for the invitation to the State Department. Thank you for your kind words. And thank you, above all, for the United States has already done for Ukraine and therefore the security of Europe, even though Ukraine was not a formal ally when Putin invaded in full scale," he said. "We appreciate what your intelligence services have done with the strategic use of intelligence and the way you've sustained Ukraine in its hour of need."

According to the MFA chief, "the Polish-American relationship is excellent". "I'm looking forward to discussing with you the upcoming visit of our president and our prime minister. But above all, I'm looking forward to discussing what we can do to make sure that Putin doesn't conquer Ukraine, because that would be a disaster, not only for Ukraine, but for Poland and I believe for the West," the minister added.

"Poland has bold plans to strengthen its defenses. But America is our essential security partner. We have done what we pledged to do in the success of NATO's summits. We are now, I believe, in proportion to GDP, the biggest spender on defense in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. And so we are trying to give a good example," Sikorski told Blinken.

Sikorski urged U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to allow a vote on new U.S. aid for Ukraine, saying Johnson would be to blame if the bill failed and Russia advanced on the battlefield.

The senior European diplomat's blunt remarks underscored European fears that conservative House Republicans led by Johnson will block supplies of U.S. munitions that Ukraine urgently needs to hold Russian troops at bay.

Ukraine is running short of personnel and ammunition, especially heavy artillery rounds, and it has lost ground in the east after retaking about half of the territory Russia seized in its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

In remarks to the Atlantic Council thinktank, Sikorski said Johnson "has in the past spoken warmly about Ukraine."

"Therefore I’d like him to know that the whole world is watching what he would do and if the supplemental were not to pass and Ukraine was to suffer reversals on the battlefield it will be his responsibility," he continued.

He was referring to a $95 billion funding bill containing $60 billion in security aid for Ukraine that passed the Democratic-controlled Senate this month in a 70-30 bipartisan vote.

The speaker, an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, the expected Republican nominee in the November election who opposes more aid for Ukraine, sent the House home on a two-week recess without bringing the measure to a vote.

He told a Feb. 14 party meeting that they would not rubber-stamp the measure being pushed by President Joe Biden, who is expected to face Trump as the Democratic nominee.

Sikorski said he was appealing "personally to Speaker Mike Johnson: please let democracy take its course. Please let's pass this to a vote."

As speaker, Johnson decides what bills are put up for votes. Some Republicans who favor the Ukraine aid say the measure would pass the House if he allowed one.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's "murderous invasion of Ukraine is being aided and abetted by a crime family of dictators," said Sikorski, referring to military aid that Iran and North Korea are providing to Moscow.

Putin's victory in Ukraine, he said, would "invite more thugs onto the world scene, and this will have dire consequences."

At a special session of the Security Council on the eve of the two-year anniversary of Russia's 2022 invasion, Poland's foreign minister responded to comments by Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, saying he was "correcting the record".

Sikorski said he was "shocked" by a statement made by Russia's U.N. ambassador Vassily Nebenzia and offered rebuttals on claims Ukraine was a corrupt client state of the West ruled by "Nazis".

"Ambassador Nebenzia has called Kyiv the clients of the West. Actually, Kiev is fighting to be independent of anybody. He calls them a criminal Kyiv regime. In fact, Ukraine has a democratically elected government. He calls them Nazis - well, the president is Jewish, the defence minister is a Muslim, and they have no political prisoners."

Sikorski said Western countries were not "irrational" to fear attacks from Russia. "When Russia threatens us, we trust it," he said, adding Nebenzia's "demagoguery" was unworthy of a permanent Security Council member.

The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly isolated Russia by calling for a "comprehensive, just and lasting peace" and demanding Moscow withdraw its troops and stop fighting.