Volodymyr Zelensky's visit is a real chance for a historic alliance between Warsaw and Kyiv
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Poland on Wednesday, the first since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aroused great interest among the world’s media, neighboring countries, political analysts and experts. Belsat TV collected some interesting comments on this visit.
Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
“Ukraine has noticed that the best support for the whole country comes from Poland. In addition,” President Andrzej Duda said on Polish Radio Channel Three. He added that Poland is a natural and obvious partner for Ukraine, which is turning towards the West and integrating with the European Union.
He referred to his excellent political and personal relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the current state of Polish-Ukrainian political partnership.
“In all the terrible misfortune of the war, two nations – Ukrainians and Poles – were able to overcome the barriers that were and are connected with a complicated history,” said Duda.
“Ukraine sees that most of the aid comes mainly from Poland,” he added.
“Today, aid can reach Rzeszów immediately from Gdansk, because highways and expressways already connect our ports with Rzeszów. All this has happened in the last few years. Ukraine is witnessing that we are a very efficient place for dispatching aid”. The President said that there is no better support, whether in the form of current assistance or for the reconstruction of the country in the future.
Duda also emphasized that the attitude to the war in Ukraine in Poland and other countries in the region is different from that in Western European countries.
“This war is perceived differently here in Poland, where it is estimated that there are up to 3 million Ukrainian citizens today. Over 11 million have crossed our border since the beginning of the war, he noted. This war fatigue can be observed in the West. That is why this war must be talked about all the time. We must remember that it is a dangerous practice, it can spread, and it can create a problematic precedent for the future, which will threaten the stability of Europe,” emphasized Andrzej Duda.
Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy, Director of Belsat TV
The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown that the Polish-Ukrainian alliance is not a quick, ephemeral reflex of the first months of the war. It is real and has a chance to become an essential element of the future of Europe, said Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy in an interview with PAP. She thinks that the official visit of Volodymyr Zelensky to Poland on Wednesday had two primary goals, the international and the internal, addressed to Polish citizens.
“This visit did not need to be a “breakthrough” because nothing needed to be broken, but it was a visit that opened a new chapter in our relations. It points to a promising future. A hard year of war is behind us. Polish-Ukrainian relations have become much closer. However, this process took place under very tragic circumstances. It was necessary to inject a new spirit into these relations – both in the Polish and international forum,” believes Romaszewska-Guzy.
According to her, President Zelensky’s visit to Poland showed that “the Polish-Ukrainian alliance is not an ephemeral reflex of the first few months of the war, but it is real and has a chance to become an important element of the future of Europe”.
According to the director of Belsat, from the point of view of internal relations in Poland, the purpose of the Ukrainian president’s visit was to “maintain the spirit of help in Poles”.
“The Russians are destroying cities in Ukraine and killing thousands of people. Women and children are victims. Thousands of soldiers are dying in battle. In this situation, Poland has the thankless task of showing constant support for over a year. It was necessary to show that help is not just a temporary gesture of the heart that will run its course in a few months, but that it is something permanent. It’s the foundation of our alliance and our future close relationship,” she added.
According to her, the speeches delivered by Presidents Zelensky and Duda in the courtyard of the Royal Castle were full of sincere emotions and perfectly constructed.
“An essential element of the speeches was the powerful statement of both presidents that no one can divide the Polish people and Ukrainians. Nor will anyone be able to break their alliance”.
Agnieszka Romaszewska-Guzy believes that President Duda’s speech was one of the best in his political career.
“It was exciting and full of great points at the same time. Moreover, Andrzej Duda was deeply convinced of what he was saying and it was visible,” said Romaszewska-Guzy.
She also pointed out that “in his last speech, the President of Ukraine referred to many issues that are important for the Polish people”.
“Zelensky mentioned, among other things, the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979 and his epoch-making speech on Victory Square in Warsaw. In addition, when naming the places of crimes committed by the Russians, he also pointed to Smolensk,” said the director of Belsat TV.
Moreover, according to Romaszewska-Guzy, it is no coincidence that the Ukrainian president mentioned Belarus among the countries that will gain freedom.
“The Ukrainians have a bad enough situation and try to avoid escalation of relations with Alyaksandr Lukashenka as much as possible. At the same time, Zelensky pointed out the need for freedom in Belarus. I think it was the influence of the opinions of the Polish side, especially since we are very interested in changing the situation in this country,” concluded Romaszewska-Guzy.
Volodymyr Fesenko, Director of the Penta Center for Applied Political Research
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Poland confirmed an alliance that can shape the future of our region and Europe, Ukrainian political expert Volodymyr Fesenko told PAP.
“This visit confirmed that this coalition is focused on the future. It is not about the past. It is not a question of historical problems that were between us in the past. Today we have common interests when we stand together against Russian aggression,” Fesenko emphasizes.
The expert believes that the libertarian Polish-Ukrainian alliance can influence the situation in the countries of the former USSR.
He estimates that victory in this war would affect the entire post-Soviet territorial space.
Video: speeches of Andrzej Duda and Volodymyr Zelensky
According to Fesenko, during Zelensky’s stay in Poland, his friendly relations with President Andrzej Duda were once again noticeable.
According to him, this friendship and brotherhood is also visible in the relations between the two nations, and the time of war has only confirmed it.
Speaking about the arrangements made during Zelensky’s visit, the political scientist said that “this is just the beginning”.
“In the future I see great potential in our cooperation in the field of tanks, drones, missiles and military equipment in general. Ukraine has the appropriate technologies, while Poland has the production capacity, and with its participation, investors can be involved in such projects,” explained the political expert.
Sky News
Ukraine needs to have public opinion on its side, but in Poland it is not a problem, assessed the British Sky News, describing the visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to Warsaw. It was noted that Poland has significantly contributed to obtaining weapons and aid for Ukraine.
Zelensky’s first official visit to Poland since the Russian invasion was from the beginning a meeting of friends, full of gestures of warmth and solidarity, and the Ukrainian leader was greeted like a hero by both Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian refugees who came to see him in person.
Video: Volodymyr Zelensky left the courtyard of the Royal Castle to thank everyone gathered in Warsaw’s Old Town for supporting his country
Sky News points out that Wednesday’s meeting wasn’t just about reaffirming friendship. It was also about building trust for the future.
The longer the war goes on, the more it will affect people in neighboring countries. Ukraine knows that it needs to keep public opinion on its side to secure lasting military and financial support. There is no problem with that in Poland now. According to Sky News, you can see that Zelensky has stolen the hearts of many people in this country.
Le Figaro
Poland is Ukraine’s most reliable ally. In Warsaw, the visit of the Ukrainian president was accompanied by palpable emotions and showed the extent to which the bilateral relations between the two countries have merged.
Poland, where 73 percent of the population believes the war in Ukraine threatens its own security, stands out in NATO for its military support of its eastern neighbor. After the tanks were delivered, Warsaw handed over eight MiG-29 fighter jets on Monday. The Polish president said he was ready to quickly transfer six new fighter jets to Ukraine. Poland is Ukraine’s third-largest military partner after the United States and Britain, the French daily reports.
For the Polish government, the Ukrainian president’s visit is an opportunity to remobilize public opinion, which is experiencing a kind of war fatigue. However, 81 percent of Poles are in favor of accepting Ukrainian refugees. But only 57 percent see their prolonged stay as something positive for Poland – analyzes Le Figaro.
The daily points out that the agreements signed between Warsaw and Kyiv could be modeled on the Elysée Treaty between France and Germany, signed in 1963 by General Charles de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. These agreements can institutionalize the political status between the two neighbors, promote economic exchanges and complete Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and the transatlantic area.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Warsaw is proof of close relations between Poland and Ukraine. Both countries are close to each other not only because of a common enemy,” writes the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in a comment, emphasizing the solidarity of Poland and Ukraine despite the difficult past.
This summer marks the 80th anniversary of events that have been very difficult for relations between Ukraine and Poland – the Volhynia Massacre. Polish President Andrzej Duda referred to these crimes during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Warsaw. He said that there are no taboos to talk about between them, the portal notes.
“The threat posed by the Russian regime unites the two countries today. But it is not a common enemy that explains the extent of Poland’s solidarity with Ukraine,” it reads.
According to the portal, “this is the result of a policy of agreement that was initiated during the communist dictatorship by opponents of the regime on both sides.”
“The war between Russia and Ukraine shows how accurate was the reasoning that guided them then: there is no freedom without overcoming national antagonisms,” writes FAZ.
lp/belsat.eu according to PAP
Translated by PEV.
