The Polish and Ukrainian governments took part in joint consultations in Kyiv, in a meeting which has been called “historic” by the leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński
The Polish cabinet led by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is the first government to meet its Ukrainian counterparts in this format since the beginning of the war in February. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the occasion to provide Ukrainian state awards to both Jarosław Kaczyński and Mateusz Morawiecki.
The meeting of the two governments was followed by a joint press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal. He stated that the two parties signed eight cooperation agreements that had to do with energy, defense, cross-border cooperation, the environment, regional development, post-war reconstruction, and history.
Morawiecki asserted that Ukraine and Poland are engaged in a common cause. “You are engaging in armed struggle, we are assisting you diplomatically as in the area of agreeing the sixth package of [EU] sanctions.”
Jarosław Kaczyński said that this meeting created an opportunity to create something new. “Although such meetings between governments are not unusual these days, this one is extraordinary not just because it’s taking place in Kyiv but because its contents went much further than the usual fare in such meetings.”
He acknowledged that arms supplies for Ukraine were discussed and called the talks historic.
“This was a meeting of friends and allies, a meeting which, I am certain, will be remembered in history and will be seen as a step in the direction in which both our nations want to travel.”
In a tweet the Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller reported on the consultations and wrote that “great courage and sacrifice by Ukrainians and support from Poland and other countries are preventing Russia from realizing its plans” and that it is “time for further actions that will guarantee our region’s security against Russian barbarism.”
He also cited Kaczyński’s words that “in all matters we were able to reach agreement, to convince each other of the necessity of our cooperation to build a union between our two nations on very solid foundations. Our history was often very different, often difficult, but today we have the opportunity to create something new not only between our nations but maybe in European relations, and therefore, in European geopolitics.”
