Poland’s former ambassador to Kyiv has told The National that the Ukraine war had already led to fundamental change in European “security architecture” with as yet unseen implications that will play out over months and years.
The invasion had destroyed all sense of “comfort” in Poland and the Baltic states, as well as Sweden and in Finland, which will now likely apply for Nato membership.
As Poland’s ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2019, Jan Pieklo met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he was an upstart candidate and then later as president.
“I was very sceptical at the very beginning, as his level of knowledge of international politics was very low indeed. But his performance now is just excellent. Vladimir Putin has transformed Zelenskyy from a Russian-speaking post-Soviet comic to an international leader who had created a strong patriotic feeling for his country. It's unbelievable.”
The greatest potential change flagged by Mr Pieklo was the potential for the Russian Federation to follow former Yugoslavia with states breaking away from Moscow, disillusioned by the corrupt regime led by President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Pieklo said France and Germany had been weakened by their handling of Russia policy both historically and in reaction to events.
Speaking in Krakow, Poland, Mr Pieklo stated that with his war aims failing in the initial weeks of the conflict, Mr Putin’s position was “weaker and weaker every day”, with the increasing threat of being toppled from power an express danger.
“He's in desperate place,” he said. “He arrested some of his top security officers and generals and they are not very happy. We can see the potential for a change of regime and I don't believe that after this it will be possible to form a strong regime in Russia.”
This could result in a battle between Mr Putin’s “security clan” and those wishing to topple them. “The final result of this fight would be the disintegration of Russia as a state,” he said.
Having witnessed the break-up of Yugoslavia, Mr Pieklo believes that the situation was a similar in Russia.
There are several territories in the south and Far East that could break away — including Russia's Caucasus regions, Tatarstan, Bashkiria, Yakutia, Kamchatka, Buryatia and Siberia — Mr Pieklo said.
“There is a potential for separatism particularly in Siberia region as these lands were also conquered by Russia,” he added. “Siberia has a long history of not being very friendly towards Moscow. But Siberia is the most important source of income for Russia with gas, oil and metals so it will be a disaster.”
Areas Russia has annexed in Ukraine and Georgia could also become self-governing or return to their original states, he said.
Mr Pieklo suggested that unlike former Yugoslavia, the territories would not “fight with each other but they will just not like each other”.
The impact of a divided Russia would have significant geopolitical consequences. “It would be dangerous for the world but ultimately it will be the best solution for Russia itself, for Ukraine and for the security of the region,” said the veteran diplomat, who is now an advisor to MEP Witold Waszczykowski, deputy head of the foreign affairs committee.
Russia’s failure would also have a significant impact on China, making it “behave in a more humble way, trying to find consensus with the West”.
For Germany the termination of the Nord Stream Two gas pipeline was “a disaster” as the “whole concept” of building a new German economy was based on the deal.
“For them this is the end of the story and it will be very difficult for Germany but they should not have a feeling of guilt because it was a false deal.”
Mr Pieklo argued that the West was still trying to comprehend the results of “this geopolitical earthquake” but the situation would continue to remain unclear “because we don't know what will happen in Russia”.
Inevitably the war would lead to a “dramatic change of the security architecture which we were used to”.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
