2019-02-22 17:34 update: 2019-02-25, 18:23
Photo PAP/Wojciech Pacewicz
We are strong when we are together, when agreement rules between us, when there is friendship between us and we stand in one rank, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in Lublin (eastern Poland) on Friday at a joint press conference with the Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents.
"Then we really command respect and it is much harder to decide on any act of aggression against us," President Duda added.
The presidents of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine - Andrzej Duda, Dalia Grybauskaite and Petro Poroshenko - paid a visit on Friday afternoon to the headquarters of the Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Multinational Brigade in Lublin, where tripartite talks were held of the three countries' delegations, under the leadership of the three presidents.
The Polish president noted that he was pleased with the joint service of Polish, Lithuanian and Ukrainian soldiers, who show "unity between us, friendship between our countries, between our nations and (...) between presidents."
Duda went on to highlight the specific importance of military cooperation with Ukraine in the context of its aspirations to join NATO.
President Duda told the press conference after the meeting that together with presidents Grybauskaite and Poroshenko he wanted to visit the soldiers of the three countries stationed there, who "improve together, train together, acquaint themselves with procedures together, meet with allies on exercises." He added that in 2019, Polish, Lithuanian and Ukrainian soldiers of the LITPOLUKRBRIG will exercise with soldiers from Canada, the USA, Georgia and Moldova, among others.
Duda expressed satisfaction that Ukrainian soldiers cooperating with soldiers from Poland and Lithuania, and therefore with NATO forces, "are improving themselves in the field of NATO procedures and preparing themselves for future service within the framework of the North Atlantic Alliance, creating and strengthening the prospects for the presence of Ukraine in the alliance."
He went on to underscore that Ukrainian soldiers have "literal war experience, knowing the craft of warfare not only in theory, not only through service in foreign missions in the most dangerous places, but they are soldiers who have taken part in regular war, having really great experience."
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thanked Poland and Lithuania for "supporting the territorial integrity" of his country. "We felt it after the aggression against Ukraine in the Sea of Azov, when Ukrainian sailors were wounded, when they were fired upon without warning, when there was a threat of the Kerch Strait being occupied. But we felt a very definite reaction of all our partners, above all Lithuania and Poland," Poroshenko declared.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite emphasised that the tripartite brigade was established to show everybody that Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine understand their possibilities and can help Ukraine in many ways. "For us, Europeans, members of NATO, it is very important to know that Ukraine is on the path which is worth fighting for and which is worth sacrifice, and we support Ukraine on that path," the Lithuanian president asserted. (PAP)
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