Ukraine must decide its own future, says Poland’s president

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has told lawmakers in Kyiv that only Ukraine has the right to decide its future The Trumpet gathered.

The Polish president is the first foreign leader to give a speech in person to the Ukrainian parliament since Russia’s February 24 invasion.

Kyiv has ruled out any peace deal that would involve ceding territory and has dismissed calls for a ceasefire that would involve Russian forces remaining in territory they have occupied, saying this would simply give Moscow time to rebuild its forces.

“Worrying voices have appeared, saying that Ukraine should give in to Putin’s demands,” Andrzej Duda said. “Only Ukraine has the right to decide about its future, nothing about you without you,” he added, to a standing ovation in the chamber.

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He said that the international community must demand that Russia completely withdraw from Ukrainian territory.

“If Ukraine is sacrificed for economic reasons or political ambitions, even a centimetre of its territory it will be a huge blow not only for the Ukrainian nation, but for the entire Western world,” Duda said.

Poland’s relations with Russia have long been fraught, since the Russian invasion Warsaw has positioned itself as one of Kyiv’s loyal allies.

Poland is a strong advocate of tough sanctions against Russia and has been vocal in its support of Ukraine becoming a member of the European Union.

“I will not rest until Ukraine becomes a member of the European Union,” the president said on Sunday.