Ukraine will grant special legal status to Polish citizens

Ukraine will grant special legal status to citizens Poland – RT quotes President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 22 when he received his Polish counterpart, President Andrzej Duda, in Kiev.

“There should be no borders or barriers between us. Spiritually, the Ukrainian and Polish peoples have long been inseparable. We have therefore agreed to make this an appropriate bilateral agreement in the near future.” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech to the Parliament of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, President Duda expressed hope that there would be no border between Poland and Ukraine in the future. The two nations will live “together on this land, together building and rebuilding our common happiness and common strength that allows us to withstand all dangers,” the Polish president said in Warsaw on May 3.

So far, it remains unclear about the potential deal and what exact privileges Polish citizens will receive. The upcoming law may reflect the measures Warsaw has taken to assist Ukrainian refugees amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev, Zelensky’s aide, Sergey Nikiforov, said.

“We need to pay attention to the law passed in Poland for temporary migrants from Ukraine. This law effectively created equality between citizens of Ukraine and citizens of Poland, but without the right to vote. Accordingly, in Ukraine, on the initiative of the president, a similar law will be passed,” Nikiforov told local media.

Under Polish law, passed in March, Ukrainian citizens can stay in the country for up to 18 months and be eligible to work there after registration and identity confirmation. Poland has accepted about 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees since the conflict broke out in late February.