"Policy of hyenas and jackals". MFA issues a statement regarding former minister's comment

Polish-Ukrainian relations have recently been troubled by tensions related to the Ukrainian grain imports crisis. Polish ambassador was "invited" to the MFA in Kyiv over president aide Marcin Przydacz's comment who had said: "Ukraine has really received plenty of support from Poland. I think it would be good if it started to appreciate the role Poland has played for Ukraine in recent months and years". Kyiv's reaction was followed by "an invitation" for Ukrainian envoy to the Polish MFA.

These events served as a background for a row between two former foreign ministers under PiS administration: Jacek Czaputowicz and Witlod Waszczykowski.

Speaking about Polish-Ukrainian relations, Jacek Czaputowicz told Polsat News on Thursday (August 3) that "there are countries strong as lions, countries clever as foxes, and countries like hyenas or jackals". "And we are pursuing such a policy of hyenas and jackals. What comes to mind is political blackmailing that we might soon find ourselves pursuing," he added. In his opinion, "immediate interest on a bleeding country brings tragic effects".

Jacek Czaputowicz's predecessor in office and current PiS MEP Witold Waszczykowski responded to his successor's comment on Twitter. "And this guy replaced me! Was it worth it?" - he wrote, tagging Law and Justice and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in the post.

Later on Thursday, Waszczykowski once again spoke about Czaputowicz's words, this time in an interview with TVN24.

He said that "luckily, Mr Czaputowicz is not the minister anymore". To a remark that he had been succeeded by him, Waszczykowski replied: "Shame".

"This is a comment I would call absolutely vulgar. Polish policy is not a policy of hyenas and jackals. We have our interest that should be pursued," he told TVN24. "Russian aggression has not cancelled politics in the (United) States, the European Union, or in Poland. Politicians still make politics and carry out their politicals goals. And so do we," he added.

In his view, "the problem is you have to do it right". "Maybe not necessarily in studio debates, but through the hotline, personal contacts, that's it. Poland has the right to pursue its interest. Even when it comes to Ukraine, which today is subject to Russian aggression," the former MFA chief said.

He also argued that, in order to support Kyiv, "Polish government must have support, must have the support of its people". "So we can't pursue a policy on Ukraine that stands against or at the cost of our own interest. The Ukrainians don't understand it. They don't understand the (European) Union, that even if they join the EU, they will be subject to restrictions, limitations, and quotas for years. Just like we were allowed to enter the German market with our workforce only after seven years. And so we need teach this Europe to the Ukrainians, tell and explain how business and rivalry works, if they want to join the EU," Waszczykowski said.

Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement by its chief Zbigniew Rau.

He wrote that "for the last 18 months Poland has served a proof and example for the free world that providing effective support to Ukraine is not only necessary to stop this threat, but is also possible without the risk of uncontrolled escalation of the conflict".

He reassured that "by pursuing this policy Poland is driven by its core national interest". He added that "the credibility gained this way lets us pursue more effectively our own national interest, based on stopping Russian imperialism outside our borders".

"An extremely important part of carrying out this policy is a duty of the Polish foreign service. Said service always demands personal sacrifice and professional discipline from each of the thousands of its members, no exceptions," we read.

"Therefore, the last comment by Mr Jacek Czaputowicz, a long-standing employee of this service, once the the MFA department chief, deputy minister and recently minister of foreign affairs, deserves the most strenuous of objections. For it is radically incompatible both with the state of fact and the ethos of our foreign service, which connects generations of Polish diplomats," the statement reads.

"Loyalty is a virtue of a free man, and loyalty to the people and the state is every citizen's duty, especially of a high public officer. Unfortunately, Mr Jacek Czaputowicz wrongly assumed that retirement excuses him from this, one of the most fundamental of duties," we read.

Poland's former ambassador to Kyiv Jan Piekło commented on Czaputowicz's words in TVN24 on Thursday. In his view, "it was an unfortunate comment that - frankly speaking - should not have been made, it's hard to understand it". "Right now we should be trying to tone down this conflict and that's actually happening. There was a statement from president Zelenskiy. And there was a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the Ukrainian charge d'affaires had been called in by the MFA," he said.

Piekło admitted, however, "it's a pity it happened". "Because, unfortunately, the root cause of it all was the unfortunate tweet by (Denys) Shmyhal, who complained on Poland over non-essential issues. He spoke about full market ban on products. He did not mention it was about transit and that we had been talked about it, discussed it," he told TVN24.

"I think it had probably been just an unfortunate comment which later generated another unfortunate comment from the Polish side. We should really focus on closing this issue," Piekło stressed.