Donbas conflict cannot be resolved by force - Polish PM
The conflict in the Donbas area cannot be resolved by force, Poland supports peace talks based on the Minsk agreement, Polish PM Ewa Kopacz said after meeting her Ukrainian counterpart Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Kopacz told a press conference that she and Yatsenyuk discussed the situation in Donbas among other topics.
"We have agreed that the Donbas conflict cannot be resolved by force. Poland supports peace talks based on the Minsk agreements, although we recognize their weak points. We understand and fully support Ukraine's position that progress in the implementation of political decisions is impossible until forces backed by Russia do not meet key provisions from Minsk, including first and foremost a full and lasting ceasefire," said the Polish PM.
Kopacz said that without reaching a peace accord or a ceasefire there were no conditions to conduct free elections in eastern Donbas. "Without democratically elected local self-government there is no chance for a true dialogue between the genuine political representation of Donbas and the authorities in Kiev."
Ukraine's PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk assured that his country has fulfilled the requirements foreseen in the Minsk agreements. According to Yatsenyuk "there were two options, bad and very bad; the very bad one meant not having Minsk at all."
"Ukraine met its requirements towards (the Minsk agreements). Any kind of discussion linked with shifting responsibility to Ukraine is groundless and unacceptable. Ukraine is a victim, the aggressor is the Russian Federation," declared Yatsenyuk.
The Ukrainian PM stressed that Poland's stand concerning Ukraine's EU aspirations was very important to him. He noted that Poland had proved that after going through with very difficult, effective reforms, and despite an initial lack of understanding, one could become an EU member.
"Poland's voice and stance on Ukraine in the European Union is extremely important to us. We ask for more Poland in Ukraine's affairs, as hardly anyone in the world understands us as you do," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
Two intergovernmental agreements were signed in the presence of the Polish and Ukrainian PMs, one on a EUR 100 million credit for Ukraine as part of a tied aid project. Education Minister Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska signed an accord establishing a Polish-Ukrainian Youth Exchange Council.
The Polish PM stressed that concrete decisions taken during her visit to Kiev in January have been finalised today. "This is proof that our bilateral cooperation has been filled with concrete action, and that the time that has passed since our last meeting has not been wasted," she stressed.
"The EUR 100 million loan granted to Ukraine by the Polish government will support the Ukrainian economy and consolidate our economic relations," Kopacz said.
Speaking about the Polish-Ukrainian Youth Exchange Council, PM Kopacz said "it was a very important step on the road to strengthening ties and building friendly relations between our people". (PAP)
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