“Poland’s role is truly exemplary. We are very, very grateful for the support we receive from Poland”, said Światosław Jurasz, Member of the Supreme Council of Ukraine. In a conversation with Michał Rachoń, Jurasz explained where Ukraine’s record support for membership of the European Union and NATO came from. It turns out that Vladimir Putin himself contributed to it.
Recent opinion polls show that support for Ukraine’s membership of the European Union and NATO has never been greater than it is today. More than 70 percent of Ukrainians want to join the Union, and 62 percent of those polled support the North Atlantic Pact. As Ukrainian politicians stress, Poland’s support in its efforts to join these alliances is crucial for them.
“Putin makes it clear that the only option for Ukrainians is the East because the West threatens to destroy our country and take away independence. Mr. Putin speaks very clearly about Russia’s integration into the European Union and believes that we cannot be a member of the European Union and NATO. I must say that Poland’s role here is truly exemplary. We are very, very grateful for the support we are receiving from Poland,” said Światosław Jurasz.
Jurasz made it clear that he was not talking about a new conflict, but about a new form of conflict, an extension of the war that has been going on for eight years. He also talked about how Russia has changed the perception of Russia where it was received positively by 2014.
“The inhabitants of south-eastern Ukraine were geographically or culturally linked to Russia, and for them, the invasion in 2014, the annexation of Crimea, was an even greater shock. They didn’t expect this. As far as western Ukraine is concerned, Russia as an enemy was not a surprise to us, but as a matter of course, for them, it was a shock. Therefore, the attitude of some Ukrainians has changed and it is now clear that the Russian option is not an option for us,” said the congressman.
“The idea is still the same; if we want to respect ourselves, we should do something in a common direction. And that’s what we’re doing,” he added when speaking about resistance to Russian aggression.