“Let the memory of the January Uprising be an obligation for all of us to unity, mutual support, the defense of truth, and the rejection of cynicism that allows the stronger to dictate terms to the weaker,” President Karol Nawrocki said in Vilnius.
The President spoke during ceremonies marking the 163rd anniversary of the outbreak of the January Uprising. In his address, Nawrocki emphasized that the January Uprising – although militarily lost – was a victory in moral and spiritual terms. “It awakened the conscience of nations. It preserved their identity. It passed on to future generations the message that one must never surrender,” he added. He noted that history comes full circle, and its most dangerous moments always begin with attempts to deprive others of their right to freedom.
“But it is up to us whether it comes full circle as a return to enslavement or as confirmation that Europe has learned from its past,” he stressed.
“Let the memory of the January Uprising be an obligation for all of us to unity, mutual support, the defense of truth, and the rejection of cynicism that allows the stronger to dictate terms to the weaker,” he appealed.
He warned that “history comes full circle, and its most dangerous moments always begin with attempts to deprive others of their right to freedom.”
“But it is up to us whether it comes full circle as a return to enslavement or as confirmation that Europe has learned from its past. Glory to the heroes of the January Uprising and to those who today defend freedom,” he continued.
The President of Poland, together with the Presidents of Lithuania and Ukraine, Gitanas Nausėda and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is taking part in ceremonies in Vilnius marking the 163rd anniversary of the outbreak of the January Uprising, as well as in a meeting of the Lublin Triangle, a format linking Warsaw, Vilnius, and Kyiv. The leaders of the three countries will discuss the current security situation, Russia’s aggressive policy, and how to respond to it.