President Duda: we are determined to maintain support for Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of allied countries, the European Union and the NATO military alliance on Tuesday about continuing coordinated support for Ukraine, the White House said.

The call included the leaders of Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Britain and France, as well as the heads of NATO, the European Commission and the European Council, the White House said in a statement.

"He (Biden) assured us that support for aid given to Ukraine continues, especially military aid. He said he would secure this support in Congress," Andrzej Duda told a news conference.

The Polish president added that Biden had called on all allies to maintain support for Ukraine. "Here, I may proudly say that everyone has reassured about the unity in that regard. We still are, all leaders, determined to support Ukraine."

"Ukraine needs support, both military and humanitarian," Duda stressed.

The Polish head of state also said that Biden had praised Poland's responsible and wise reaction to provocations by Belarus.

"He mentioned very clearly the crossing of the border by Belarusian helicopters and that we had acted very responsibly, also as a member state of the North Atlantic Alliance," said Duda.

Duda also underscored Poland could be absolutely sure it would receive support from NATO in case of any future provocations.

Asked about the condition of Polish-American relations, Duda said that they were "at the best point in history."

He added that not only American troops were stationed on Polish soil, but also "plenty of American companies that are doing business in Poland".

Biden convened the call amid concerns that support for Kyiv's war effort against Russia was fading, especially in the United States where Congress excluded aid to Ukraine from an emergency bill to prevent a partial government shutdown.

Its omission from the U.S. spending bill sent pro-Kyiv officials in Washington scrambling to find the best way to secure approval for further assistance on top of the $113 billion in security, economic and humanitarian aid the U.S. has provided since Russia invaded in February 2022.