In a telephone call with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Poland's President Andrzej Duda extened his best wishes for the Ukrainian nation the country's Independence Day. Duda also reassured on social media that "Poland stands with free and independent Ukraine". "In 1991, Poland recognized our independence immediately after the referendum. It was a leader then and remains a leader now" - president Zelenskiy said on social media.
President Andrzej Duda's office informed on the X platform on Thursday that he had spoken over the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
"On Independence Day, president Duda sent the president of Ukraine wishes of fair peace, at the same time expressing hope that, next year, Ukraine will celebrate this day being truly independent again -free of Russian aggression," the president's office wrote.
"Poland was the first European country to recognize Ukraine's independence 32 years ago," Andrzej Duda's office added.
Earlier that day, president Duda posted the following message for Ukraine: "Ukraine's Independence Day has a particularly symbolic dimension today. Russian aggression is a credibility test for the democratic states of the free world. If they help Ukraine defend itself and remain independent, freedom and international law will prevail".
"If Ukraine drowns in the darkness of the Russian occupation, violence and evil will triumph. Poland has always been on the side of freedom and independence. Poland stands with free and independent Ukraine!" - the president added.
Zelenskiy: I’m sincerely grateful to the Polish people
Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Andrzej Duda for the Independence Day wishes. "Always good to speak with Andrzej Duda. Thanks for warm wishes on our Independence Day." "In 1991, Poland recognized our independence immediately after the referendum. It was a leader then and remains a leader now. I’m sincerely grateful to the Polish people for all the support," Zelenskiy added.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to rally Ukrainians on Thursday (August 24) as his embattled nation celebrated its second straight Independence Day under the cloud of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The national holiday coincided with the 18-month mark of Moscow's attack, which has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians and ravaged wide swathes of land in the heart of Europe.
Russia's February 2022 invasion had galvanised Ukrainians and sparked waves of volunteers to join the military, donate to the army, or help the cause in other ways.
Zelenskiy spoke at an official ceremony in central Kyiv as Kyiv's highly-anticipated counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-occupied territory lurched into its third month at a slower pace than some Western and Ukrainian officials had expected.
Showing their support at the ceremony were Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Bosnia and Herzegovina , President Zeljko Komsic.
Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Reuters