Mateusz Morawiecki’s words came at a joint news conference with Volodymyr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The Polish prime minister said: “I came here not only with a word of support. Poland, as the first European country, symbolically hands over to you, President Zelensky, the first four Polish Leopard tanks.”
He added: “We will deliver more and urge our EU and NATO partners to do the same.”
‘The first tanks have arrived from Poland’: Ukraine’s president
Meanwhile, Zelensky said that Poland had created a coalition of countries that pledged to send modern tanks to his country.
He told reporters: “Today we can announce that we have received the first batch of such tanks from Poland. The first tanks have arrived from Poland.”
“These tanks are already in Ukraine. They will strengthen our defences,” the Ukrainian president added, thanking Morawiecki for his “contribution to the creation of the international tank coalition for Ukraine.”
‘Poland is one of Ukraine’s most important allies’: Zelensky
Zelensky said that the Polish prime minister’s presence in Kyiv was "a very powerful symbol of the unity between Ukraine and Poland, of our shared steadfastness, our solidarity.”
He added: “Poland stood with us even before and after the start of this full-scale invasion and I am sure it will stand with us until our shared victory is won.”
Zelensky described Poland as “one of our most important allies providing assistance to Ukraine.”
“I thank Prime Minister Morawiecki, I thank Polish society for this support,” he said.
He continued: “The leaders can provide such support if they are backed by their nation and I am grateful to the whole Polish nation, because we are talking about weapons, economic support, political support and humanitarian support, support for our people. It all strengthens Ukraine’s defences.”
Zelensky vowed: “Thanks to our efforts and the efforts of our Polish brothers, and other allies, we’ll also overcome the remaining taboo when it comes to defence, namely the creation of a coalition to provide aircraft to Ukraine. It’s a difficult issue, but we are working on it.”
The Ukrainian president said he and Morawiecki had also discussed the need to accelerate delivery of weapons to his country “to speed up Russia’s defeat on the battlefield.”
‘’Kyiv is the capital of freedom’: Polish PM
Meanwhile, the Polish prime minister told reporters: “I’m here to bow to all the fighting heroes of Ukraine, to the Ukrainian nation which is defending its homeland, but at the same also defending Europe and defending Poland.”
He said: “Today, Kyiv is the capital of freedom.”
Morawiecki added that “the strength of Polish-Ukrainian relations frightens Moscow, and so Russian propaganda seeks to drive a wedge between our nations at all costs.”
He declared: “Russia’s main propagandists should be sanctioned and Poland will push for this with all our strength.”
'Ukraine must win and Russia must lose this war'
Morawiecki told reporters that “Poland, Europe and the whole free world stand with Ukraine.”
He vowed: “We won’t leave you, we’ll be supporting Ukraine until a positive resolution of this war, until victory over Russia.”
Morawiecki stressed that “Ukraine must win and Russia must lose this war, if the world is to look differently, if the world is to develop in peace, stability and security.”
The Polish prime minister said, as quoted by the PAP news agency, that “barbaric Russia may destroy schools, bomb hospitals and level houses, but it cannot understand that you can’t destroy a nation that desires freedom."
Morawiecki visited Kyiv on Friday to reaffirm his country’s support for Ukraine a year after Russia invaded its neighbour, officials said.
Upon his arrival on Friday morning, Morawiecki met with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal and laid a wreath at the capital's Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine, news outlets reported.
The two prime ministers also held talks on further Polish support to Ukraine, according to officials.
Friday is day 366 of Russia’s war on Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, Ukrinform