The talks focused on assistance to refugees from Ukraine provided since the beginning of Russia’s aggression against that country. They started with a moment of silence to honour the victims of the atrocious crimes committed by the Russian aggressor against the civilian population in Bucha and in other cities and towns across Ukraine. The Head of the Foreign Service underlined that in response to Russian violence, Poland is making every effort to help all those fleeing the threats and destruction of war zones. The scale of this assistance is huge and driven by the Polish spirit of solidarity, which defines our actions on many levels. “Moscow’s violent actions are targeting not only Ukraine but also the West and its system of values,” he added.

The purpose of the meeting was to present the scale of assistance provided to Ukrainian neighbours by the provincial local government administration, but also by the Polish public and institutions. Deputy Minister Szefernaker stressed that Poland provided assistance to refugees from Ukraine in a structured manner from the outset and will continue to do so. He further noted that our action is based on information and an openness to cooperation.

Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Deshchytsia, present at the meeting, thanked everyone in Poland for welcoming Ukrainian citizens and showing them genuine support. He called on other ambassadors at the meeting to offer concrete proposals to assist forced migrants from Ukraine. At the same time, he stressed the need for clear action by all governments to end the war of the Russian aggressor.

The Head of the Foreign Service also pointed out that, at the diplomatic level, we are acting decisively and consistently to build a united front of defence and assistance to Ukraine and its citizens. The presence of the Polish ambassador in Kyiv is a clear signal of our diplomatic #StandWithUkraine. The Polish Embassy in Kyiv, although with a limited staff capacity, continues to operate uninterrupted. Among other Polish diplomatic missions in Ukraine, the Consulate-General in Lviv is fully operational.

 

Łukasz Jasina
MFA Press Spokesperson

 

Photo: Bartosz Peterman / MFA