The visit to Warsaw by President Volodymyr Zelensky is a signal that Ukraine is determined to become a member of both the European Union and NATO, former Polish ambassador to Ukraine, Jan Piekło, has claimed.
During his visit to Warsaw on Wednesday, President Zelensky is expected to meet with President Andrzej Duda, hold talks with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and meet with Poles and Ukrainians living in Poland at the Royal Castle Square in Warsaw.
“This is truly an exceptional visit,” said Piekło in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
Piekło, who served as Poland’s ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2019, believes that Zelensky’s visit could also mark the beginning of Ukrainian retaliation in the country’s Russian-occupied territories. “It could turn out that this visit coincides with the beginning of the counteroffensive,” he said.
The former ambassador noted that the timing of the visit coincides with the anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s strategic defeats. “We remember Putin’s order that the entire Donbas region was to be under Russian control by the end of March. That didn’t happen. It was the next defeat after the first ‘three-day blitz war’ that failed to capture Kyiv,” Piekło stressed.
“This is a crucial moment in the history of the war in Ukraine, which is why there are high expectations for this visit,” he added. “Perhaps there will be surprising announcements that will catch some people off guard.”
When asked about the expected topics of discussion between the country’s presidents, Piekło mentioned membership of Ukraine in the EU and NATO, military support, historical issues, and Ukrainian grain concerns. He also expects “some public announcement of a political surprise” that could be related to joint economic and military ventures.
