Polish deputy FM visits Kyiv to show solidarity, discuss cooperation
Poland's deputy foreign minister arrived in Kyiv on Monday to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine following Russia’s recent large-scale attacks, the foreign ministry said.
Marcin Bosacki travelled with a delegation of MPs and representatives of Poland's defence and banking sectors. He was welcomed at Mykhailivska Square by Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Mishchenko, and the two laid wreaths at a memorial wall honouring Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war.
"We came above all to assure our Ukrainian friends that they are not alone, that Poland stands with them, that the West stands with them," he said at the start of the visit.
He added that talks in Kyiv would focus on bilateral relations, security cooperation with allies, Ukraine's possible inclusion in the EU's SAFE defence programme, and joint weapons production. "Putting industrial and defence cooperation into practice is a very important issue today," he said. He also said discussions would cover preparations for a reconstruction conference to be held in Poland in June.
Bosacki said the delegation's train to Kyiv was delayed after Russian strikes damaged parts of Ukraine's railway network. "We saw damaged areas along the way. We will also help to rebuild this infrastructure," he declared.
The visit follows overnight Russian attacks last week, including the reported use of an Orieshnik hypersonic missile in Lviv Oblast. The strikes targeted critical energy infrastructure, triggering widespread emergency power cuts and leaving some districts of Kyiv without electricity, heating or running water for many hours. (PAP)
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