West must support Ukraine's bid to join NATO: Polish lawmaker

Western allies must strengthen Ukraine's bid to join NATO ahead of the alliance's summit in Washington next year, the Polish head of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has said. 

Poland's Michał Szczerba, the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, addresses Ukraine's parliament, in Kyiv, on Saturday, November 25, 2023.

X/Polish Sejm

Michał Szczerba made the statement in Kyiv at the weekend, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Szczerba, who is the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, made a two-day visit to Kyiv at the invitation of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada parliament, for the 90th anniversary of the Soviet-made Holodomor famine, officials said.

Szczerba on Saturday addressed the Verkhovna Rada, and held meetings with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, top lawmaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, the wnp.pl website reported.

#NATOPA President @MichalSzczerba addressed @ua_parliament as part of the official commemoration of the 90th anniversary of #Holodomor and met with @ZelenskyyUa @r_stefanchuk @rustem_umerov & Ukrainian parliamentarians to reaffirm the Assembly’s determined support for #Ukraine 👉… pic.twitter.com/F9syFGR9WQ

— NATO PA / AP-OTAN (@natopapress) November 25, 2023

During the talks, the Polish lawmaker reaffirmed the Assembly’s "determined support for Ukraine and its NATO membership path," according to officials.

Szczerba said: “There are 227 days to the NATO Summit in Washington. We must do everything we can in this time ... and redouble our efforts to advocate for Ukraine.”

Poland's future gov't 'will actively support Ukraine'

Szczerba, a liberal politician, told the PAP news agency that he had assured Ukraine's Zelensky that "Poland's new democratic parliamentary majority and the future government will actively support Ukraine."

📌Wizyta Przewodniczącego Zgromadzenia Parlamentarnego NATO w Kijowie. Relacja

🔹W dniach 24-25 listopada odbyła się w Kijowie wizyta Przewodniczącego Zgromadzenia Parlamentarnego NATO pos. @MichalSzczerba. Zaproszenie do wizyty wystosował przewodniczący Rady Najwyższej Ukrainy… pic.twitter.com/8UPcqTVaft

— Sejm RP🇵🇱 (@KancelariaSejmu) November 27, 2023

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly serves as a link between NATO and the parliaments of NATO member states, according to officials.

The advisory body brings together 274 lawmakers from NATO's 31 member countries and delegations from 10 associate countries, wnp.pl reported.

Poland's Szczerba was elected president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly at an annual session in Copenhagen last month. 

The ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party won Poland's October 15 election, but lost its parliamentary majority and looks unlikely to stay in power for a third consecutive term.

On November 10, a bloc of pro-European Union opposition parties, including Szczerba's liberal Civic Coalition (KO), the rural-based Polish People's Party (PSL), the centre-right Poland 2050 group and the Left party, signed an agreement to form a coalition government, pledging to restore the rule of law, promote green energy and relax abortion rules, among other policies.

Monday is day 642 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, NATO, wnp.pl, sejm.gov.pl