Poland launches international billboard campaign to encourage Russia sanctions

The Polish government has launched an international advertising campaign to “remind Western countries of the atrocities taking place in Ukraine” and to encourage them to support stronger sanctions against Russia.

The billboards presented by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw today feature texts in German and English alongside peaceful images from western Europe juxtaposed with photographs from war-torn Ukraine. They will be displayed “in many European cities”, says the government.

“Where is your kid’s teddy?” asks one poster, showing a child sleeping peacefully in Berlin with a stuffed bear in bed beside an image of a child’s toy lying among the rubble of Borodyanka. Others feature images from Brussels, Milan, Amsterdam and Hamburg contrasted with the suffering in Ukraine.

Further posters focus on the continued purchase of oil from Russia by Western countries. “Blood oil funds Russia genocide in Ukraine,” says one. “Do you like the smell of g̶a̶s̶o̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ Ukrainian blood?” asks another.

“We are starting the special billboard campaign #StopRussiaNow to awaken consciences,” said Morawiecki. “What is happening on the streets of Ukrainian cities shakes our conscience, but for too short a time. Too soon our partners in western and southern Europe would like to return to normality.”

“We remember Russian enslavement well, what it is like to live under someone else’s boot…[so] we have a special mandate to awaken consciences in western Europe,” he continued. “Germany, France, Austria and Italy must do as much as possible to stop the war and end funding for Putin’s war machine.”

The European Union has already imposed a number of sanctions against Russia and Russian individuals in response to the invasion of Ukraine. But Poland’s government has consistently argued for tougher measures, saying that existing ones have not done enough to prevent or discourage the Kremlin.

“We need crushing sanctions, much stronger than those that have been imposed so far,” said Morawiecki today. “Our job is to convince our partners in Western Europe to act faster and stronger for a free Ukraine.”

The prime minister recently directly criticised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for prioritising business interests over Ukrainian victims and French President Emmanuel Macron for trying to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. Macron hit back by accusing Morawiecki of interfering in the French elections on behalf of Marine Le Pen.

While Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party initially refrained from direct criticism of Hungary – a close ally – for its lack of support for Ukraine and opposition to tougher sanctions on Russia, earlier this month PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński expressed his disappointment regarding Viktor Orbán’s approach.

Poland had previously been one of Europe’s largest importers of Russian oil, but the government pledged last month to end all imports of oil, gas and coal from Russia by the end of this year. It admits that its embargo on coal may violate EU rules, but said that it “cannot wait any longer” for Brussels to act.

Polish officials were also among the first to warn that genocide may be taking place in Ukraine. President Andrzej Duda said as early as 2 March, six days after the invasion, that Russian actions “bear the hallmarks of genocide”. Polish prosecutors have been helping the International Criminal Court investigate crimes against humanity.

As well placing billboards in western European cities, the new campaign will also feature conferences organised by Polish diplomats with the presence of Ukrainian ambassadors, the government revealed.

Main image credit: KPRM (under CC BY 3.0 PL)

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.