Poland and Ukraine engage in talks on bilateral security agreement

Speaker of Poland's Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska on Friday arrived in Kyiv on her first working visit. She was greeted by her Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk.

Poland remains a staunch supporter of Ukraine determined to continue providing military and humanitarian assistance.

Kidawa-Błońska received a standing ovation after she addressed members of the parliament. 

"We all understand that the war in Ukraine has entered a difficult phase, that's why we are convinced that only good coordination of political initiatives undertaken by individual governments and parliaments is crucial for maintaining international support which is very much needed," she said.

We must maintain readiness of the European states and the entire democratic, Western world to support Ukraine, first and foremost by delivering adequate armaments which I hope will allow Ukraine to repel the Russian attack completely," the Senate Speaker stressed.

Stefanchuk thanked Kidawa-Błońska and the Polish Senate for supporting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's peace formula and Poland's participation in the peace summit to be held in Switzerland from June 15-16 this year.

"Today is a very important day for the history of our relations," Stefanchuk said. "It is today that we begin official negotiations on the text of the agreement on security guarantees between Ukraine and Poland."

"We want this agreement to be as ambitious as possible," he stressed.

Stefanchuk added that he and Kidawa-Błońska discussed "all issues related to our cooperation, defense, protection of Ukraine, issues related to the creation of an international mechanism for the redress of grievances and cooperation between our parliaments".

Ukraine has already signed bilateral security agreements with nine European countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom.