The presidents of Poland and Lithuania conducted a two-day meeting this week to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Belarus, energy policy, security matters, and the EU sanctions against Russia.
The meeting between Poland’s Andrzej Duda and Gitanas Nauseda of Lithuania, which took place on the Baltic coast, was planned following the recent visit by both Presidents to the Suwalki Gap.
In a Twitter post, Duda revealed that the two countries would not reduce their commitment to Ukraine; they will also intensify military cooperation and plan more visits to Kyiv to show that neither are bowing under pressure from Moscow.
“Two days of very valuable talks with the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda,” wrote Duda. Our countries will not reduce our commitments to Ukraine. We both plan more visits to Kyiv, we will not succumb to any blackmail from Russia. Poland and Lithuania will intensify our military cooperation.”
In an interview for Polish radio, President Duda’s chief of staff, Jakub Kumoch, drew attention to the need for the two countries to work together closely on the Kaliningrad region of Russia which borders both nations.
Kumoch voiced his displeasure at how the European Commission had treated Lithuania over its attempt to stop the flow of goods between Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia. The Commission ruled that goods between Kaliningrad and Russia could pass through Lithuania.
According to Kumoch, the message from the two-day meeting of the two heads of state was crystal clear. There will be no let up in support for Ukraine, and Russia will have to live with it.
“Russia must understand that its provocations … will intimidate neither Poland nor Lithuania, and both will continue to be active within both NATO and the EU in support of Ukraine,” said President Duda’s chief of stuff.
