Mateusz Morawiecki was hosted by Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital Kyiv on Friday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
They were joined by the Latvian President Egils Levits.
At a joint news conference afterwards, Zelensky thanked Poland and Latvia, saying that “ever since Russia attacked our country, these states, these leaders have stood with us through their actions and showed themselves to be world-class leaders.”
He added he was “extremely grateful to both countries” for the care and financial support extended to refugees from Ukraine.
Zelensky also thanked Poland and Latvia for “historic” military assistance, for their efforts “to help unblock EUR 5 billion in macro-financial assistance from the European Union” and for “supporting Ukraine’s bid to become a candidate to join the EU.”
Polish PM honoured in Kyiv
As a mark of gratitude, Poland's Morawiecki had his name engraved on a plaque in Kyiv’s Walk of the Brave.
“From the first days of the war, the head of the Polish government was with us during the most difficult time,” Zelensky said.
A similar honour was conferred on Poland's ruling Law and Justice party leader Jarosław Kaczyński, while the Polish President Andrzej Duda had his engraved name unveiled in August, the PAP news agency reported.
Latvia's Egils Levits, the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenia's ex-Prime Minister Janez Janša also had their names engraved in the Walk of the Brave, according to news outlets.
Morawiecki calls for EUR 9 bn in EU funding for Ukraine
Poland's Morawiecki told reporters: “Together with Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the Czech Republic, we are the most active within the EU, especially in talks with the European Commission to organise financial support for Ukraine and impose sanctions against Russia.”
He called on the EU’s executive, the European Commission, “to provide Ukraine as soon as possible with the funding we promised in June, namely EUR 9 billion.”
The Polish PM stressed that “victory must be Ukraine’s” and congratulated Ukrainians on their recent successful counteroffensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Morawiecki went on to say: “From this heroic defence of Ukraine, a new Europe must be born - a Europe with Ukraine as a Member State.”
“Long live free Ukraine! Long live Poland! Long live all the nations that defend freedom and love freedom,” he concluded.
Friday is day 198 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, tvpparlament.pl