Confrontation at the Security Council

During a debate at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski addressed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov directly, demanding that Moscow halt its military campaign against Ukraine. Sikorski, who also serves as Poland's deputy prime minister, spoke during the session focusing on the war in Ukraine. Lavrov had left the plenary chamber shortly before Sikorski took the floor, but the Polish minister directed his remarks at his absent counterpart. Sikorski stated that Russia had failed to achieve its objectives after fighting for over twelve years in Donbas and more than four years around Kyiv.

“Stop destroying the future of Russia, Sergey. I know you are listening. Tell your boss that enough is enough.”

Economic comparisons and battlefield realities

Sikorski outlined the disparity in economic power between Russia and the coalition backing Kyiv. He noted that Ukraine generates only one-tenth of Russia's gross domestic product, while Poland accounts for nearly half, Europe produces ten times Russia's output, and NATO members combined generate twenty-five times Russia's GDP. Sikorski argued that while Moscow still has the capacity to kill people, it cannot achieve victory against these combined resources. He urged Russian leadership to cease its imperial campaign rather than risking broader conflict with European countries and NATO.

“You can still kill many people, but you cannot win.”

Rebuttals to Russian diplomatic claims

Sikorski used his speech to counter arguments Lavrov made earlier in the session, where the Russian foreign minister mentioned him by name. Sikorski rejected Lavrov's framing of the 2014 Maidan events as a coup d'état, recalling that he was in Kyiv alongside the foreign ministers of France and Germany when the events occurred. He noted that Ukraine's democratically elected parliament, including members of Viktor Yanukovych's own party, voted to remove the former president from power after more than one hundred Ukrainian civilians were killed. Sikorski also contested Lavrov's allegation that Ukraine had prohibited the Russian language, citing his own visit to Kyiv ten days earlier under Russian bombardment.

Lavrov rejects pauses and alleges Western interference

In his preceding speech to the council, Lavrov rejected any temporary ceasefire during negotiations, accusing European nations of seeking a pause solely to supply weapons to Kyiv. Lavrov asserted that European leaders provoked the conflict, claiming that without their actions Ukraine would still possess its 1991 borders. He also accused European countries of causing the collapse of what he described as the August 2025 Anchorage understanding between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Speaking to reporters following the session, Sikorski noted that the meeting featured assessments from a UN under-secretary-general alongside statements delivered at an elevated level by world powers and heads of state.

“Having learned from bitter experience, we will not halt the special military operation for negotiations in any form.”