Poland Foreign Minister Visits Historic Japanese Battleship, Sends Strong Message to Russia
Hiroshi Watanabe 
Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski (front row, center) and others visit the Memorial Ship Mikasa on February 28 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture (from Sikorski's X).
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Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski visited the Memorial Ship Mikasa in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on February 28. During the Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War, the Mikasa served as the flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet. While on board, Sikorski streamed a video to demonstrate Poland's firm stance against Russia. As a neighbor of Ukraine, Poland has historically suffered repeated Russian invasions.
Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Zarebski and Kenji Wakamiya, Senior Advisor to the Japanese defense minister, accompanied the Polish foreign minister. Sikorski first inspected the JS Teruzuki, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer docked at the Yokosuka Naval Base.
Following this, he proceeded to the Mikasa, where he livestreamed on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter). In his video, he explained, "The Mikasa influenced Japan's fate in the 1905 Battle of Tsushima, in which Japan emerged victorious."
Later that evening, Sikorski held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo's Iikura Guest House. The two ministers signed a five-year action plan condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its military cooperation with North Korea.
Partition, War, and Hope
Poland was partitioned three times by Russia, Prussia, and France in the 18th century, leading to the country's disappearance from the map. Although Poland regained independence after World War I, it was later invaded by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. After World War II, Poland's borders were pushed westward, and the country suffered under communist oppression.
Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War inspired hope among Poles under Russian rule at the time. Polish independence activists established contact with the Japanese government, offering intelligence on Russia in return.
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Author: Hiroshi Watanabe, The Sankei Shimbun
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