2024-12-12 12:27 update: 2024-12-12, 14:21
Photo PAP/Piotr Nowak
Poland and France are on the same side when it comes to European security and a just peace in Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Warsaw on Thursday.
Tusk described the current moment in the world's history as "critical" and said his talks with Macron had confirmed that Poland and France are like "a single team" on such issues as Europe's security and competitiveness, the situation in Ukraine after the Russian invasion and efforts towards reaching a just peace in Ukraine.
The Polish prime minister also announced the start of works on a new Polish-French friendship treaty.
Commenting on potential peace negotiations aimed to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Tusk said that he and Macron had agreed that "Ukraine must be present at any talks (concerning peace - PAP) and any variant, any proposal must be acceptable also for our friends in Kyiv."
He also said Poland is not planning to send its troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire.
"The decisions concerning Polish activities will be made in Warsaw and only in Warsaw," he said. "At the moment we're not planning such activities. We'll cooperate with France - not only, but with France - on solutions that will first of all ensure security for Europe, but also for Ukraine against a reignition of the conflict if a ceasefire and potentially a peace agreement can be reached."
Tusk also said he had told Macron that Poland had been carrying the heaviest burden among all EU member states when it comes to the war in Ukraine. "These include various burdens, including our involvement in military aid as well as financial involvement."
He also mentioned that Poland operates "the biggest, crucial and one-of-its-kind aid hub for Ukraine."
"We are paying these costs while being fully convinced that this is the right thing to do, that helping Ukraine is acting for the benefit of Poland, France and the whole of Europe," Tusk said.
"I would like all politicians in Europe, but also in Kyiv, to hear the message that Poland has also undertaken the burden of protecting the NATO border and the EU border... with Belarus and Russia," he said, adding that, consequently, Poland expected "full support and cooperation" from its partners. (PAP)
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