The visit of PiS President Jarosław Kaczyński and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to Russian-attacked Kiev in March last year made a big impression in Ukraine and showed politicians around the world that people have to come here despite the war, he said. the Polish ambassador in Kiev, Bartosz Cichocki, to PAP.
Cichocki: It was unheard of for me
I think this visit has become the custom of visiting Kiev to speak credibly on issues of war and peace in Europe
he assessed.
Today, one year after the visit, posters with images of Polish politicians and the inscription “We Remember” appeared in the Ukrainian capital. Kaczyński and Morawiecki then came to Ukraine together with the prime ministers of the Czech Republic and Slovenia. Their faces also appear on billboards.
It was an extraordinary visit and the participants are rightly honored in this way. Kiev was then threatened with attacks and fighting with Russian troops continued in the Kiev region. The day before, the city had been shelled and killed
says the ambassador.
Cichocki recalls that the situation was so serious that a curfew was imposed on the day of his visit to Kiev.
We left the embassy outside only in body armor and helmets
he stressed.
It was unheard of for me that under these circumstances several heads of government and (then) Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński could visit Kiev
– added.
“At some point, everyone switched to Polish.”
The ambassador recalls that the streets of Kiev were empty on the day of his visit. The inhabitants of the city, fearing Russian bombing, left or hid in safe places.
Kaczyński, Morawiecki and the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic and Slovenia arrived in Kiev by train. Their journey took 12 hours. For the next five hours, the politicians held intensive talks with Ukrainian partners, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Volodymyr Zelensky took part in these talks for a long time. It was a very specific conversation about the MiGs, about the NATO mission in Ukraine. At the time, attempts were also made to assess the willingness of the international community to support Ukraine
revealed the ambassador.
At some point – and it was unbelievable – everyone switched to Polish. In the beginning there were working translations, but our delegation, President Kaczyński and Prime Minister Morawiecki started speaking Polish and everyone agreed that it would be easier
said Cichocki.
According to the diplomat, the visit of the four politicians made a great impression on Ukraine.
The participants have plaques with their names on the Alley of Courage on the Constitution Square in front of the parliament in Kyiv
he stressed.
Judging by these billboards, we can say that Ukrainian society also remembers and appreciates this visit
– noted the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland.
Billboards “We Remember March 15, 2022”
Billboards depicting the first foreign politicians to visit Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began last February, have been set up on the central boulevard of Taras Shevchenko in Kyiv, among other places.
We remember March 15, 2022. The first visit of foreign leaders to Kiev. Jaroslaw Kaczynski
— we read on the billboard with the image of the president of PiS. The same content can be seen on the poster with the face of the Prime Minister of the Polish Government, Mateusz Morawiecki.
On March 15 last year, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, President Jarosław Kaczyński (then Deputy Prime Minister of Poland) together with the Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic and Slovenia arrived in Kiev by train. In the Ukrainian capital, they met with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the Prime Minister of this country Denys Shmyhal.
In Ukraine, their visit was then compared to a visit to Tbilisi in 2008 during the Russo-Georgian war, in which the late president took part. Prof. Lech Kaczyński, President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko and Leaders of the Baltic States.
“The leaders of their great independent countries are not afraid
Without the visit of the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia immediately after the Russian aggression, no other politicians would have appeared there. It was a breakthrough then – ruled the head of the Sejm Committee for Foreign Affairs Radosław Fogiel (PiS) on the anniversary of the visit of M. Morawiecki and J. Kaczyński, among others, to the capital of Ukraine.
On March 15, 2022, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and then Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, together with the Heads of Government of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala and Slovenia, Janez Jansza, arrived in Kiev, where they met, among others. with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the head of local government Denys Shmyhal. Politicians gave political support to the Ukrainians, who had been fighting Russian aggression since February 24.
After the meeting, the Ukrainian president thanked European politicians for their support.
This is a firm position at a time when even many ambassadors have left Ukraine because of the Russian Federation’s massive invasion of our country, and these people, the leaders of their beautiful, independent countries, are not afraid. They are more concerned about our fate and are here to support us and this is a very strong, courageous, kind step
said Zelensky then.
I am convinced that with such friends, with such countries, neighbors and partners, we will really make it and win
added the president of Ukraine.
Fogiel: It’s a matter of both political and personal courage
Radosław Fogiel stressed that this was the first visit by heads of state and foreign politicians to Ukraine after the outbreak of the war.
It was very important in the context of support, showing that Ukraine can stand, Ukraine fight, Ukraine has a functioning government and can decide for itself
– said PAP.
It was also a matter of political, but also of personal courage of those who took part in this visit
– added the head of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs.
The proposal for this trip came up at the European Council and – as far as we know – was widely circulated, and in the end there were only four participants in this trip
he stressed.
“That was a breakthrough at the time.”
Fogiel also recalled the words of the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Committee, Oleksandr Merezhko, who, in response to Ukrainians expressing their gratitude to President Kaczyński and Prime Minister Morawiecki on posters, wrote on social media: “It was an extremely important, historical visit, which we Ukrainians appreciate very much, we appreciate it because it was a visit from true friends who came to support us in the most difficult and dangerous period of our history.
Such words close the whole discussion
– assessed the Polish politician.
We remember, although it would be embarrassing to remain silent about it, but it is impossible not to remember all those voices that appeared in the Polish media, among Polish opposition politicians, who tried to downplay the importance of this visit or the need for it. don’t deny at all. I think if anyone has a different opinion today, they should keep quiet about what the Ukrainians themselves are saying on this subject
– added.
As Fogiel stressed, “Without this visit, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson or European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other politicians would not have appeared there so quickly.”
That was a breakthrough then
he noticed.
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aja/PAP
Source: wPolityce