Today at 16:15
President of Poland Andrzej Duda, in his speech on the Independence Day of Ukraine in Kyiv, said that he is convinced that Ukraine will be able to defend its freedom and “the war will soon end in victory”, and also noted and emphasized that he believes that what unites Ukraine and Poland, stronger than contradictions.
Duda noted that the Independence Day of Ukraine is to a certain extent the day of independence of the whole of Central Europe, because “without the independence of Ukraine it is difficult to imagine an independent and safe Poland, Lithuania or other countries of our region”.
He noted the heroic struggle of Ukrainians to preserve independence and promised that Poland would support Ukraine until its victorious conclusion.
“We Poles know that independence is not given once and for all. In our history, we experienced tragic moments, we lost sovereignty twice and twice restored it with superhuman efforts,” Duda reminded.
In his opinion, the example of the struggle of the Poles for their statehood well confirms that perseverance and the desire for freedom should lead to victory, even if the opponent appears to be much stronger.
“I did not have and do not have the slightest doubt that, united in their efforts and struggle, the courageous Ukrainian people will defend their independence. And although today Ukraine is fighting against the Russian aggressor, it is fighting not to the death, but to the death for its independence, I I am convinced that the war will soon end with the victory of the forces of freedom over the world of tyranny. Then a new world will begin to be forged out of the darkness of war, on the ruins and burnt territories,” said Andrzej Duda.
He reminded that from the ashes of the Second World War Europe finally emerged as it is today.
In his speech, Duda mentioned the common past of Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland as part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
“The territories of our countries were fertile ground for the development of democratic traditions and civil liberties, which became a reference point and inspired movements for independence, which shaped the European identity of the countries of our region… The fact that Ukraine today sheds blood for freedom and sovereignty, and does not choose life in the shadow of the imperial policy of the Kremlin, is rooted in our common history – I am deeply convinced of this,” the Polish president said.
Duda also reminded that Poland was the first in the world to officially recognize the independence of Ukraine in 1991.
The President of Poland noted that forgetting painful pages in the common historical past is impossible.
“We do not trivialize, erase or forget them. We want to build a future based on truth and sincere reconciliation. Fraternal nations owe it to each other, because what unites us is stronger than what divides us. I believe that it is unity and solidarity between us that is of decisive importance, and therefore we must strengthen it with all our might,” Andrzej Duda said.
