Beware of the bear

Tusk, who heads the center-right Civic Platform (PO) party and is tipped to win this month's parliamentary elections, said Poland's aspirations to be in Western institutions put it in conflict with former communist overlord Moscow.

Relations between the neighbors have turned chilly in past months, with Russia concerned by what it sees as Polish meddling in Ukraine and other former Soviet countries, as well as Warsaw's desire to help shape EU policy towards Russia.

Warsaw is in turn incensed by Russian plans to build a gas pipeline to Germany that would bypass Poland, which Warsaw says may jeopardize its energy security.

"We should examine all possibilities of ending our dependence on Russian energy supplies," Tusk said.

"We cannot build a facade in our relations with Russia, that everything is as good as could be, as the one created by the [ruling] leftists and the [outgoing] president," he added. "There must be a serious dialogue."

Poland gets nearly all of its crude oil from Russia, and about two-thirds of its gas from the former Soviet Union - either from Russia, or via pipelines that run through Russia.

Tusk did not elaborate on how he would try to replace one of the European Union's biggest energy suppliers. Poland has considered building a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Baltic Sea, and pipelines from Norway and from central Asia.

Tusk foresaw a "cordial consensus" in ties between Germany, the biggest European Union member, and Poland, the biggest newcomer to the bloc, stressing openness from German politicians.

"Far-reaching integration with the European Union is in Poland's interests...as is the bloc's maximal expansion," he said, mentioning EU aspirants Ukraine and Turkey by name. (Reuters)