“The free world has the face of Ukraine,” President Andrzej Duda said in Kyiv in his speech in Verkhovna Rada (parliament). The President of the Republic of Poland is the first head of a foreign state to appear in Verkhovna Rada since the Russian attack on Ukraine.
Polish President Andrzej Duda enters the Ukrainian Parliament to a standing ovation. ???? pic.twitter.com/hoNtrrFvmf
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 22, 2022
“There are some voices that Ukraine should surrender to Russia’s demands (…) but only Ukraine has the right to decide on its own future,” the President said.
The programme of President Andrzej Duda’s visit will also include talks “in private” with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The delegation talks are also planned.
Polish President @AndrzejDuda alongside Ukrainian President @ZelenskyyUa in Kyïv today.
United we stand ?????pic.twitter.com/y1EkWBjtHE— Marcin Czapliński (@czaplinskiii) May 22, 2022
“After Bucha, Borodianka, Mariupol, there can be no business as usual with Russia, dear Presidents and Prime Ministers,” Polish President said during his speech in Verkhovna Rada.
“After Bucha, Borodianka, Mariupol, there can be no business as usual with Russia, dear presidents and prime ministers,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said during his speech in Verkhovna Rada.
“Poland will do everything it can to help Ukraine become a EU member.”
Thank you ?❤️ pic.twitter.com/Tf9U9DMkV8
— Oleksiy Sorokin (@mrsorokaa) May 22, 2022
The President is accompanied by the Head of the National Security Bureau Pawet Soloch, Head of the International Policy Bureau Jakub Kumoch and the Secretary of State Wojciech Kolarski.
Kumoch said Duda’s speech to the Rada will contain references to the historical ties between Ukraine and Poland, but will mainly pay homage to the Ukrainians’ courageous defence of their country against Russia.
This is the third visit of the Polish President to Ukraine. Andrzej Duda travelled to Kyiv on 23 February this year – a day before the Russian aggression, another visit was on 13 April this year together with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.