Polish President: ‘Only Ukraine has the right to decide its future’

Polish President Andrzej Duda addresses the Ukrainian Parliament on May 22 – Photo: REUTERS

Duda is the first foreign leader to speak directly to Ukraine’s parliament since the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted.

Kiev has ruled out the possibility of a peace agreement if “there is an element of territorial concessions”, and rejected calls for a ceasefire amid Russia’s intensification of attacks in the eastern Donbass region.

Kiev thinks that will give Moscow more time to rebuild its forces.

Over the past week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Russia’s TASS news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying the call was “an initiative of the US side”.

Currently, peace talks between Ukraine and Russia have stalled. Both Russia and Ukraine blame each other for this.

“Only Ukraine has the right to decide its future,” Duda told Ukraine’s parliament on May 22.

“If you sacrifice Ukraine, for economic reasons or political ambitions, even just an inch of territory, it will be a huge blow not only to Ukraine, but to the whole West,” Duda said.

According to Reuters, relations between Poland and Russia have long been fractured. Since the “special military operation” in Ukraine, Warsaw has chosen to support Kiev. Poland is also a strong supporter of sanctions against Russia and supports Ukraine’s membership of the European Union (EU).

“I will not rest until Ukraine becomes a member of the European Union,” Duda said.