Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in neighbouring Poland on Wednesday, a Polish presidential aide mentioned, for an official go to to a detailed ally that has galvanised Western navy and political help for Kyiv.
The go to to Poland, which has taken in additional than one million Ukrainian refugees over the previous 13 months of struggle, comes as Ukraine plans to conduct a counter-offensive within the coming weeks or months to recapture land in its east and south from Russia.
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Zelenskiy will meet President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on the journey, and converse to Ukrainian refugees and Polish members of the general public in addition to enterprise leaders who could possibly be concerned in rebuilding Ukraine.
“I can say that President Zelenskiy has crossed the Polish border,” presidential aide Marcin Przydacz informed personal broadcaster TVN24 on Wednesday.
In televised feedback on Tuesday, Przydacz had mentioned the go to “must be taken as an indication of belief and of thanking Poland and Poles”.
In addition to welcoming refugees, the NATO member has performed an necessary position in persuading different Western powers to produce battle tanks and different weaponry to Ukraine.
Army deliveries have been very important for Ukraine to fend off and battle again Russian forces that poured over the Ukrainian border in February 2022. Swathes of Ukraine stay occupied within the south and the east.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov mentioned on Tuesday that Kyiv was grateful to Poland for clearing the best way for deliveries of MiG fighter jets.
Ukraine officers have additionally pressed for F-16 jet fighters to spice up Kyiv’s means to hit Russian missile items with U.S.-made rockets however Przydacz mentioned Poland wouldn’t resolve any time quickly on whether or not to ship any.
“F-16s are defending Poland’s skies.” he mentioned. “There are completely no such selections at this stage.”
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Polish officers had additionally mentioned talks would deal with developments on Ukrainian entrance strains, worldwide help and financial cooperation.
Ukraine’s presidential workplace, which avoids mentioning Zelenskiy’s journey plans prematurely for safety causes, didn’t define something in regards to the journey or what it will deal with.
The Polish public overwhelming helps Ukrainians of their struggle with Russia. An Ipsos ballot mentioned 82% of Poles suppose NATO and European Union nations ought to again Ukraine till it wins.
Nonetheless, Zelenskiy’s go to takes place amid mounting anger in rural Poland over the affect of imports of Ukrainian grain, which have pushed down costs in a number of states within the EU’s jap wing — one thing the Polish prime minister had mentioned would come below dialogue.
Tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural imports could must be reintroduced if an inflow of merchandise pushing down costs in European Union markets can’t be halted by different means, the premiers of 5 jap states mentioned in a letter printed on Friday to European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen.