Duda, Tusk meet Zelensky in Warsaw. Poland and Ukraine sign security agreement

08/07/2024
Politics

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenski signed an agreement on the security cooperation between the two countries. Poland promises to support its fighting neighbour with air defence and in the field of energy security. The Polish government also promised to prepare and equip a new “Ukrainian legion” – a military unit that shall be based and trained in Poland.

The press conference after the leader’s meeting started with a minute of silence dedicated to the victims of a recent missile attack on Ukraine, including a shelling of a hospital in Kyiv.

Volodymyr Zelenski thanked Prime Minister Tusk for his cooperation and expressed his expectation of further cooperation with the Polish defence industry. He also mentioned the aircraft donated by Poland to Ukraine and talked about the possibility of transferring further equipment and the formation and training of a new legion on Polish territory.

“We have agreed to form and train a Ukrainian Legion on Polish territory. This will be a new formation made up of volunteers, which could enable Ukrainian nationals who are on Polish territory to take part in the defence of Ukraine,” said President Zelensky.

Zelenski also thanked Poland for supporting Ukraine in its bid to join the European Union. He announced that the topic of strengthening Ukraine’s air defence would be raised at the NATO summit. He said he expected a strong response from partners, especially in the context of recent attacks. He also spoke of the need to develop a detailed plan for the country’s energy security.

“Ukraine’s path to NATO is longer than Poland would like. But we will urge our allies so that Ukraine can pass it – including to the EU – as soon as possible,” Donald Tusk pointed out. “We will also make sure that nothing about Ukraine is decided without Ukraine,” he added. Tusk also assured Zelensky that Ukraine can count on Poland at all times.

When asked about possible mediation by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in negotiations with Russia, he said that such mediation was not possible and that allies such as the European Union as a whole, the United States or China must stand on the other side. Donald Tusk, in turn, addressed Viktor Orban, saying that a just peace is a peace that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity, its independence and its choice to join NATO, and that can not be concluded without the consent and knowledge of both EU and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President also met with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda.

President Duda met at the Belvedere with the Ukrainian president. The meeting between the presidents took place ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Washington, to which both Duda and Zelenski are travelling.

„We will work on this so that NATO’s voice resounds as a common voice in favour of supporting Ukraine,” Zelenski said. „Poland is always on our side and always gives us support,” he added.