President Duda thanks National Security Council for "responsible, patriotic approach"

At 1 p.m. on Friday, Poland's National Security Council convened to discuss the present situation regarding the threat of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The meeting ended past 4 p.m.

After the session, President Andrzej Duda thanked the council members for the meeting and an "extraordinarily constructive atmosphere". He added that all those who took part in the session presented their standpoint. "I, the prime minister, and the ministers have provided detailed information to representatives of parliamentary clubs and circles regarding the current international situation that we know of, both around and in Ukraine, as well as in Belarus. Also how it looks from the perspective of Poland's security, what actions have been taken, and how international talks have been going," Duda said. He also thanked "for extraordinarily responsible, patriotic approach displayed by politicians representing out society".

"I hope that all actions - taken both at the parliamentary, and governmental fora - will be held in similar atmosphere and manner, including actions related with security, maintaining peace in the international sphere also aorund our country," the president said.

He added that the session was held under classified protocol and he could not share any detailed information with public opinion.

President Duda also said the "situation in international sphere was difficult". He reiterated his words from before the meeting, about "the most peculiar situation since 1989 when it comes to the scale of Russian Federation's troops". "We're dealing with huge relocation of Russian forces," he added.

The president stressed that Poland treated this situation as important. "We are members of the NATO and European Union. We are a country directly neighbouring Ukraine and Belarus. Security, independence, and freedom of Ukraine, as well as Belarus, are important, strategic issues for us. I'm glad to see there is a sense of great responsibility for these issues at the Polish political scene," president Duda said.

Prezydent zabrał głos także przed rozpoczęciem RBN. - Bardzo mi zależało, abyśmy na dzisiejszym spotkaniu, które będzie dotyczyło sytuacji bezpieczeństwa wewnętrznego i zewnętrznego RP, porozmawiali o tym, w jaki sposób dalej prowadzić politykę tak, żeby mówić jednym głosem - powiedział.

- Cieszę się, że rozumiecie państwo problem tej, nie mam żadnych wątpliwości, wspólnej odpowiedzialności za los Rzeczypospolitej w bardzo szczególnej sytuacji międzynarodowej, jakiej od początku mojej prezydentury jeszcze nie było. Wydaje mi się, że śmiało można powiedzieć, że takiej sytuacji, jaką mamy obecnie, nie było od 1989 roku. Ona rzeczywiście jest specyficzna - stwierdził.

Duda ogłosił, że w jego przekonaniu "bezpośrednie, istotne, militarne zagrożenie dla Polski nie występuje w tej chwili". - Natomiast na naszych oczach zmienia się sytuacja tak zwanego bezpieczeństwa militarnego w naszej części Europy. To ważny temat do wspólnej rozmowy - zauważył.

The ruling PiS party was represented by its parliamentary club chief Ryszard Terlecki, Civic Platform - by its deputy head Tomasz Siemoniak. The chief of the biggest opposition party Donald Tusk was not invited.

Presidential minister Bogna Janke argued that Tusk was not a member of the parliament, and had no "legitimacy to take part in such session". Asked about this comment, Civic Platform spokesman Jan Grabiec said it was "only an excuse". "The president always has the option let in on a state secret a person he wants to invite," he pointed. "Today it's just looking for an excuse not to let Jarosław Kaczyński meet with Donald Tusk, so he wouldn't have look him in the eye, to confront him," Grabiec added.

The Left was represented by Krzysztof Gawkowski, Polish Coalition-Polish People's Party - by Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Kukiz'15 - by Paweł Kukiz, Accord - by Jarosław Gowin, Poland 2050 - by Hanna Gill-Piątek, Confederation - by Jakub Kulesza, Polish Affairs - by Paweł Szramka, and Polish Socialist Party - by Wojciech Konieczny.

The RBN session was also attended by Speakers of the Sejm and the Senate - Elżbieta Witek and Tomasz Grodzki respectively.

COVID-stricken Minister of Defence Mariusz Błaszczak was represented by his deputy Wojciech Skurkiewicz, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was represented by its deputy chief Piotr Wawrzyk.

The meeting was also attended by the National Security Bureau chief Paweł Soloch, director of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych, and the head of presidential International Policy Bureau Jakub Kumoch.