Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded Polish President Andrzej Duda the Order of Freedom, Ukraine’s highest honour available to foreign nationals, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The decree, published on the official website of the Office of the President of Ukraine, cites Duda’s “remarkable personal achievements in deepening Ukrainian-Polish international collaboration, and his steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Order of Freedom is a prestigious state decoration granted to individuals who have made exceptional efforts in bolstering Ukraine’s independence, uniting its society, promoting democratic values, pushing forward socio-economic and political reforms, and defending constitutional rights and civil liberties.
President Duda arrived in Kyiv on Saturday morning for an unannounced visit, coinciding with Ukraine’s Constitution Day. According to Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine’s Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, the Polish head of state was scheduled to meet with President Zelensky and take part in commemorative events marking the national holiday.
President Duda and President Zelensky honoured the memory of fallen Ukrainian defenders by laying wreaths in front of the Memory Wall dedicated to the fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
This visit adds to a growing list of trips Duda has made to Ukraine since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Notably, he travelled to Kyiv on 23 February 2022—just one day before the war began—accompanied by the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
He returned in May and August 2022, again in June 2023 ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, and most recently in August last year, when he joined celebrations of Ukraine’s 33rd Independence Day.
President Duda’s ongoing diplomatic engagement and vocal advocacy for Ukraine on the international stage have made him a prominent figure in Europe’s response to the conflict, with Saturday’s honour reflecting the high regard in which he is held by Kyiv.
Source: PAP
Photo: X @prezydentpl
Tomasz Modrzejewski
