Ghosts of the past

During a transatlantic forum in Brussels Polish Defense Minister Radosław Sikorski criticised Berlin, accusing it of advocating common EU foreign, security, and energy policies while at the same time failing to consult its EU allies. The Minister referred to the deal between Berlin and Moscow last year to build a new pipeline under the Baltic Sea linking Russia directly with Germany, which will bypass Eastern and Central European states.

"Poland has a particular sensitivity to corridors and deals above our head," Sikorski told a transatlantic security conference in Brussels. "That was the Locarno tradition, that was the Molotov-Ribbentrop tradition. That was the 20th century. We don't want any repetition of that," he added. Sikorski said Poland had asked Chancellor Angela Merkel to review the controversial gas deal: "We asked. She refused."

Sikorski's words were met with sharp criticism from all sides. The European Commission said "This language isn't adequate or helpful in seeking compromise." Chief Kremlin strategist Gleb Pavlovsky stated bluntly: "Russia will treat this statement as a hostile declaration."