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War in Ukraine must end safely for Poland: president

22.06.2022 00:30
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has said that a priority for Polish foreign policy is to ensure that the war in Ukraine ends safely for Poland.
President Andrzej Duda addresses Polish diplomats in Warsaw on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.
President Andrzej Duda addresses Polish diplomats in Warsaw on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.PAP/Albert Zawada

Duda made the declaration during a speech to Polish ambassadors at the presidential palace on Tuesday, state news agency PAP reported.

War must end 'in a way that is safe for Poland'

The president said: “Today, the basic, absolutely fundamental priority for us is that this war ends in a way that is safe for Poland. Not just the fact that it ends. No, that’s not our aim.”

He added that Russia must withdraw its troops and Ukraine must regain control over its internationally recognised territory.  

Duda also said that Poland had provided Ukraine with close to USD 2 billion in military assistance so that “Russian aggression doesn’t have to be repelled in Poland's Podkarpacie region.”

'Sanctions should be maintained'

Duda also called on sanctions against Russia to remain in place even after the war.

“Sanctions should be maintained until Ukraine says that they can be lifted,” he said. 

“Until that happens, sanctions should be stepped up," the president stressed.

EU candidate status for Ukraine

The president also voiced hope that the European Union would this week grant Ukraine candidate status to join the bloc.

“The Ukrainians want to be in the West, they are spilling their blood for it. We need to show them that the EU is open to them,” he told the Polish diplomatic corps.

Tuesday was day 118 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP