Polish foreign minister warns of ‘great storm’ in global affairs

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned Wednesday that the world is entering a period of deepening geopolitical instability, describing current tensions as “the beginnings of a great storm.”

Speaking at the 12th International Maritime Congress in the northwestern city of Szczecin, Sikorski said developments once considered improbable had become part of everyday reality.

“We live in times of polycrisis. Dark clouds are coming from several directions at once,” Sikorski said. “Phenomena until recently considered impossible or extremely unlikely are becoming reality – armed conflicts, maritime blockades and trade wars.”

He pointed to growing instability in major waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, arguing that geographically distant conflicts are directly affecting European security and trade.

“Distance has little meaning,” Sikorski said. “It is no surprise the world’s attention is focused on the Strait of Hormuz. But these are not the only waters falling victim to intensifying rivalry.”

Referring to the Baltic region, Sikorski accused Russia of threatening undersea infrastructure, disrupting GPS signals and operating what he described as a “shadow fleet” of aging vessels posing environmental and security risks.

He cautioned against portraying the Baltic as a fully secure “internal NATO sea,” saying such language underestimated the scale of existing threats.

“We are seeing the beginnings of a great storm in international relations,” Sikorski said. “During storms, the crew must work hand in hand.”

The minister also linked security concerns to wider economic tensions, noting that tariffs, once largely absent from discussions among allies, had returned to international politics.

Poland has sharply increased defense spending since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and now allocates nearly 5% of GDP to defense, among the highest levels in NATO.

Sikorski highlighted Warsaw’s participation in the EU’s SAFE defense financing program, under which Poland signed a loan agreement on May 8 to support military modernization and expansion of the domestic arms industry.

“We are determined never again to lose our sovereignty,” he said.