Polish President Andrzej Duda used his speech at the UN General Assembly to call on world leaders to oppose the imperial policies of Russia and Vladimir Putin.
This is reported by Polish Radio, Voice of America and the Guardian.
Duda: The war in Ukraine should not turn into a frozen conflict
According to him, Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine has led to enormous global problems and has become a test for the international world order.
"World peace has never been as threatened as it is today," Duda said.
He cited the story of the seizure of Poland by Nazi Germany in September 1939 as the reason why Warsaw "understands the tragedy of Ukraine better than any other country in the world."
"For the first time in a long time, the Russians have shown a face that we have known for hundreds of years. They believed that the nations around them should be subjugated by them.
Unleashing the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin wanted to rebuild the Russian Empire, wanted to divide the world and make Europe forever dependent on its raw materials. However, he did not succeed, and I deeply believe that he will no longer be able to do this," the Polish president said.
He stated that the war in Ukraine must end, not be frozen, and this is possible only if the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored. President Duda also called on the UN to put an end to Putin's neo-imperialist policies.
"Fly in the ointment" from Duda to Ukraine
During a press conference in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Duda said that he would firmly defend the interests of Polish farmers in the case of Ukrainian grain.
Duda recalled that Poland did not close its borders to Ukrainian grain, but established transport corridors, which it agreed with Ukraine.
"Thanks to these corridors, twice as much grain is now transported through Poland than in February or March this year," he explained.
The President of Poland added that his country wants to help Ukraine as much as possible, but must defend the interests of its farmers. The President compared Ukraine's actions to the situation of a drowned man grasping at straws.
"Ukraine is under attack by Russia, it is undoubtedly in a very difficult situation. She grabs at everything she can. Do we need to act to protect ourselves from being harmed by a drowning person?
A drowning person is extremely dangerous because he can be dragged to a depth... It can simply drown the savior. Of course, we must act to protect ourselves from a drowning man harming us, because if a drowning person harms us and drowns us, he will lose help," the Polish president said.
According to Duda, there are certain business circles that have interests in Ukraine and want to sell grain at the lowest possible price as soon as possible. He warned that Poland would defend itself against this.
Urged Ukraine to be grateful
"It would be good for Ukraine to remember that it receives assistance from us, and to remember that we are also a transit country for Ukraine," Andrzej Duda said.
Duda canceled meeting with Zelensky in New York
Duda also commented on why he did not meet with Volodymyr Zelensky during the UN General Assembly, although this meeting was previously planned.
"We did not meet with President Zelenskyy. Because the schedule of the day has changed, and the meetings have lasted longer. We were supposed to meet at 11:30 a.m., but I was just having my speech at the UN. Everyone has their own calendar. Maybe we'll meet later," the Polish leader explained.
Recall that in his speech at the UN General Assembly, Zelensky accused some European partners of "acting together with Russia and playing in the 'political theater'. According to Zelenskyy, they are making a "thriller" on the issue of grain.
"It may seem that they are playing their role, but in fact they are helping a Moscow actor to take the stage," Zelensky said at the UN.
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