The new Polish foreign minister visited Kiev this Friday and pledged that Poland stands with Ukraine in its “tyrannical struggle” against Russia. This was Radoslaw Sikorsky's first foreign trip after taking office.
“In this titanic struggle, Minister, Poland is on your side,” he announced to his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba. The head of Polish diplomacy also criticized Russia for “bombing cities, destroying entire provinces, deporting children and preparing to exterminate innocent neighbors.”
Poland has been one of Kiev's strongest allies in the face of Russia's aggression and invasion, but relations between the two neighbors have been marred by a series of trade disputes in recent months.
Radoslaw Sikorsky posted a photo taken on Mykhailivska Square in the center of the Ukrainian capital this Friday morning. “First trip abroad. I'm already here,” he wrote on social network X, previously on Twitter.
Sikorsky also said that Vladimir Putin wants to “rebuild the Russian Empire” on February 24, 2022, instigating the “last colonial war in Europe”. “Russia must lose, Ukraine must win. On this issue, whoever is in power in Poland, as you can see, we are united,” he added.
During the visit, warnings about the threat of aerial bombardment were heard, worthy of the new Polish minister's comment: “These sirens that are being heard now are the reason I am here”, he observed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Poland for its “significant support to Ukraine and Ukrainians to protect us from Russia's large-scale aggression.” “We both agree that our bilateral relations need a boost and that all concerns must be addressed in a mutually respectful manner.”
The Ukrainian president said his country's current military needs, strengthening defense cooperation, joint production of weapons and the acquisition of Polish weapons “proven effective on the battlefield” were discussed.
Other news for tomorrow
⇒ A EU to send 500 more generators to Ukraine, the European Commission announced that people should be able to withstand winter weather conditions and respond to power outages. More than 16 million euros worth of generators will come from the EU's strategic reserves in Poland.
⇒ The Netherlands government announced the delivery of 18 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, despite Moscow's warning last week of retaliation if attacked by these fighters serving Kiev from NATO bases. The Dutch Defense Minister made the announcement, however, he did not say when the fighters would be delivered.
⇒ An investigation by the US newspaper Wall Street Journal, published today, blames Nikolai Patrushev, a former spy close to Vladimir Putin, as the author of the plan to remove Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Prigozhin died in a plane crash along with nine others on August 23 after staging a mutiny against the Russian military leadership. The Kremlin described the news as “pulp fiction” by the WSJ.
⇒ Ukrainian authorities have announced that they have recovered the remains of 66 soldiers killed in the war against Russia. They will be taken to specialized centers designated by the Ukrainian government, where they will be handed over to law enforcement representatives and forensic experts.
⇒ The U.S. administration is finalizing a series of executive orders that would allow financial institutions that the U.S. believes are “secondarily involved in the transfer” of military technology to Russia. In particular, the targeted companies are involved in the illegal smuggling of semiconductors and optical equipment into Russia.
⇒ Portugal's support for Ukraine's military effort was discussed in the first contact between new Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and his Portuguese deputy, Helena Carreras. According to a note from the Ukrainian embassy in Portugal, the telephone contact between the two ministers helped to “discuss the training of Ukrainian technical and support personnel for the F-16s and other forms of assistance”.
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