Olena Zelenska made the remark in a post on Twitter, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
She wrote: “Visiting Poland is like visiting dear friends. Not only because of our common values, but also because of our desire to preserve lives.”
Ukraine’s president made a one-day state visit to Warsaw on Wednesday, his first official trip to Poland since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of his country in February 2022.
Zelensky met with Poland's President Andrzej Duda, and he also held talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and addressed the public outside the Polish capital's Royal Castle.
Meanwhile, First Ladies Agata Kornhauser-Duda and Olena Zelenska attended a series of events together, including as part of their continued efforts to organise training for Ukrainian medics, the PAP news agency reported.
Olena Zelenska said in a tweet: “I am glad to meet again with true like-minded people... – Mr. President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Ms. Agata Kornhauser-Duda.”
'Joint project to train Ukrainian doctors'
She added: “Together with my colleague Agata Kornhauser-Duda, we had a meeting with Ukrainian medics who are training to evacuate as part of Polish air brigades.”
“Our joint project to train Ukrainian doctors who will deal with severe burns is ongoing,” the Ukrainian first lady said.
She announced that Polish and Ukrainian authorities were "preparing for further cooperation,” including the “training of Ukrainian psychologists, psychiatrists and rehabilitation therapists.”
Olena Zelenska said she was grateful to Kornhauser-Duda and "all involved" for "the attention to our specialists.”
Evacuation of orphans and patients, humanitarian aid, support for Ukrainian refugees in Poland
The Polish and Ukrainian first ladies held a meeting at Warsaw’s presidential palace to discuss their joint projects so far and plan further initiatives, according to the Polish President's Office.
Kornhauser-Duda and Zelenska also met with Ukrainian medics undergoing training in Poland, and later visited a refugee support centre, officials said.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the two first ladies have been working together to ensure the evacuation of orphans and young hospital patients, supporting the system of emergency medical services and healthcare centres in Ukraine, organising humanitarian aid, and helping war refugees from Ukraine who are staying in Poland, reporters were told.
Training of Ukrainian medics
In October, Kornhauser-Duda and Zelenska launched a project to allow Polish and Ukrainian medics to share and exchange their experiences, according to officials.
“Under the initiative, Poland has so far provided training to 90 Ukrainian doctors and specialists in medical air evacuation and comprehensive medical care of burn patients,” the Polish President’s Office said.
Training courses have been conducted since December by Poland’s Air Ambulance Service (LPR), as well as at specialist facilities in the eastern Polish city of Lublin and the nearby town of Łęczna, officials said.
The Polish President’s Office added that Kornhauser-Duda “has personally visited all of these facilities and met with course participants.”
The Polish first lady said on Wednesday she hoped that “knowledge acquired during training courses in Poland will above all contribute to the development of healthcare in Ukraine, while also facilitating good, expertise-driven cooperation between Poland and Ukraine in the longer-term.”
Poland provides ‘invaluable help’ to Ukraine: Olena Zelenska
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Zelenska stressed that Poland and Ukraine shared common values, “the highest of which is human life.”
Addressing Polish people, she stated: “You have proved to be our friends, whose support has an important practical dimension. Since the start of the Russian aggression, thanks to the help of specialists, we have managed to evacuate thousands of ill adults and children, despite difficult conditions and often amid shelling.”
“It’s an invaluable help,” Zelenska said, as quoted by the PAP news agency.
Thursday is day 407 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, prezydent.pl, niezalezna.pl