On Friday, 25 February 2022, the head of Polish diplomacy will travel to Brussels to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).

On 25 February 2022, Minister Zbigniew Rau attended an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The Council focused on the EU’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine – an adoption of severe restrictive measures against Russia and enhanced support for Ukraine.

The call took place in the light of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine and with regard to tomorrow’s B9 and NATO summits.

On Thursday evening, Minister Rau spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the request of the American side.

The crisis in and around Ukraine was was the focus of the plenary session opening the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Winter Meeting on 24 February 2022. OSCE’s Chairman-in-Office and Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt, and President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka expressed their concern over Russia’s direct and open invasion of Ukraine and the deteriorating security situation in Europe. They also reiterated the role of the OSCE in facilitating dialogue and building confidence.

On 21–22 February 2022, Head of the Foreign Service Arkady Rzegocki talked to heads of Polish diplomatic missions by means of videoconferencing.  

The EU member states’ foreign ministers focused on the security situation in Europe in view of Russia’s escalating aggressive policies against Ukraine. That issue was also discussed with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who was present in Brussels. The foreign ministers also met with their counterparts from countries of the Arab Peninsula as part of the Joint EU Council – Gulf Cooperation Council.

Poland sent 300,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Palestine. Like Poland, Palestine is now facing the largest growth in the number of cases since the onset of the pandemic. Of the total Palestinian population of less than five million, 32 per cent have received full vaccination, and the daily numbers of new recorded cases exceed 10,000.