"The purpose of my visit was to reaffirm our policy that Ukraine is not alone in defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of its borders and that Ukraine has every reason to defend itself" - Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said on Thursday in Kiev.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau visited Kyiv on Thursday upon an invitation of Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
In his social media account, Kuleba said that the aim of the visit was strengthening of bilateral cooperation amid escalation of tension between Ukraine and Russia.
Kyiv has raised the alarm over a buildup of Russian forces near the border between Ukraine and Russia, and over a rise in violence along the line of contact separating Ukrainian troops and Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine's Donbass region.
Russia says the troop movements are defensive and a senior Russian official has said Moscow has no plans to intervene in the conflict in eastern Ukraine that began in 2014.
Another Ukrainian serviceman were killed in shelling by separatist forces on Thursday morning, bringing the number of deaths to five in the past three days, the Ukrainian military said.
The two ministers paid tribute to Ukrainian servicemen killed in eastern Donbass region.
"The purpose of my visit was to reaffirm our policy that Ukraine is not alone in defending its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of its borders and that Ukraine has every reason to defend itself" - minister Rau said in a statement.
He also stressed that "an independent, secure Ukraine is an inalienable part of Europe that remains true to the fundamental principles of the Charter of Paris for a New Europe, whose 30th anniversary we recently celebrated".
"We agreed that the massing of troops along Ukraine’s eastern border and in the occupied territory of Crimea we are witnessing in recent days should be taken into account when shaping and conducting policy of non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea and violations of the territorial integrity of Ukraine" - Polish Foreign Minister said.
"Depending on the course of events, Ukraine’s partners should be prepared to have a serious debate on the scope and criteria of selective cooperation with states that are in breach of fundamental norms of international law" - he underscored.
The two ministers also discussed "the threats to peace in Europe posed by the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, now in its final construction stages, and by the escalating security situation in Ukraine’s east and south".
"We see clearly that this project allows synchronization of pressure—political, economic, and military. This pipeline, if completed, will create a state of clear and present danger to peace in Europe" - Rau added.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters, Polish MFA