Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday (Jan. 22) in Kyiv that the situation at the border with Ukraine had become "clearly better." Tusk's Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal said at a joint press briefing that he counts on Poland's support in negotiations regarding Ukraine's EU and NATO accession.
Tusk made the statement at a joint news briefing with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
"The suspension of the blockade, on the one hand, and the actions of the Ukrainian side in terms of clearing the passage for Polish carriers returning from Ukraine have resulted in the situation at the border itself being significantly improved," the Polish prime minister said.
"It's clearly better. There are no more dramatic traffic jams."
Ukrainian-Polish relations deteriorated in recent months when blockades at the border damaged Ukraine's economy.
Truckers agreed last week to suspend their protests, which had been aimed at revoking Ukrainian truckers' permit-free access to the European Union, until March 1.
"I am sure that we will find a solution that will benefit Polish farmers and producers and will be safe for the Ukrainian side," Tusk said.
"An honest conversation between friends can work wonders."
Prime Minister Shmyhal declared a "reset" in relations between the two governments and said they would hold regular meetings to strengthen cooperation.
He added that Kyiv would invest "maximum effort" to avoid harming Poland's economic interests, but that it also expected Warsaw to lift restrictions on Ukrainian farmers and producers.
Shmyhal also listed three key goals for Ukraine in 2024: approval of the Ukraine Facility financial instrument by the European Council; start of negotiations regarding Ukraine's EU accession; and clear decisions regarding Ukraine's NATO membership at the Allied summit in Washington.
"We ask Poland for support."
Shmyhal also said Kyiv had received nearly $3.5 billion in military support from Poland since the beginning of the war.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters, PAP