Polish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian presidents meet in Vilnius
The presidents of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine, Karol Nawrocki, Gitanas Nauseda and Volodymyr Zelensky, respectively, met in Lithuania's capital Vilnius on Sunday under the Lublin Triangle regional cooperation format that brings together the three nations.
The three heads of state also marked the 163rd anniversary of Poland's January Uprising against Tsarist Russia, which was one of the three powers that partitioned Poland at the end of the 18th century.
At a press conference that followed, Nawrocki said that although 163 years had passed since the uprising, Russia continued to be a threat for Central and Eastern Europe.
"The policies of resetting relations with the Russian Federation come and go, but one thing remains unchanged, regardless of whether it is Tsarist Russia, Bolshevik Russia or Vladimir Putin's Russia: Our countries, now independent, still face the same problem of threats from the Russian Federation," Nawrocki said. "That is why regional formats are so important, and as President of Poland, I attach particular importance to them."
Nawrocki went on to say that "the voice of Central and Eastern Europe and such formats as the Lublin [Triangle] should be heard all over the world."
Zelensky urged the world to stop supplies of oil from Russia and block Russian propaganda and expressed hope that the United States will continue to exert pressure on Moscow.
Nauseda said that the future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv should guarantee Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that the deployment of European armed forces in Ukraine, with support from the United States, would be a key deterrent for Russia.
Responding to a question whether dialogue with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is acceptable, Nawrocki said that Belarus is a "junior partner" of Russia that is responsible for launching a hybrid war at the border with Poland and other places in Europe, but "in the context of prisoners, which are being kept there, and representatives of the Polish minority, including (journalist and activist - PAP) Andrzej Poczobut, we must use various channels."
Nauseda added that the release of political prisoners is a requirement for the Belarusian regime to end its international isolation. (PAP)
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