Polish President Addresses Ukrainian Parliament To Deepen Alliance Between The Two Countries

On May 22, Polish President Andrzej Duda visited Kyiv, where he called for the complete expulsion of Russian troops from Ukraine. President Duda was the first foreign leader addressing the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv since Russian invasion. He called on the EU to strengthen sanctions against Russia and to accept Ukraine as a new member of the EU.
Duda said that Poland supports all decisions made by Ukraine in its own interest. It would be a “huge blow” to Ukraine and the West if Ukraine were to make the slightest concessions to its territory or sovereignty for its own economic interests or political ambitions. President Duda also said that the European Council’s decision on Ukraine’s candidate status on June 24th was extremely important and that he was confident that the EU would make the same “gesture” of accepting Ukraine.
An official in Duda’s office said that Poland and Ukraine are interested in reaching an agreement like the 1963 “Elysée Treaty”, in which France and West Germany agreed to regularly coordinate major policy decisions. The treaty becomes an important basis for closer European integration. Duda and Zelensky are discussing ways to ship Ukrainian grain out through Polish ports and railroads, and to send more fuel as well as increased arms supplies to Ukraine. Poland has hosted by far the largest number of Ukrainian refugees and has been Kyiv’s main supporter within the European Union.