President of Poland Duda speaks to parliament in Kiev

Polish President Andrzej Duda has become the first foreign head of state to address the Ukrainian parliament since the start of the Russian invasion. No one can disturb the Polish-Ukrainian unity, Duda said in his speech. Parliamentarians rose several times to applaud the guest from Poland. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also present.

“There have been worrying voices asking Ukraine to give in to Putin’s demands,” says Duda. “Only Ukraine has the right to determine its future.”

Duda’s sympathetic visit was surprisingly announced on Sunday morning. The 50-year-old traveled to Ukraine for the second time since the start of the war in late February. Among other things, Duda is committed to ensuring that the neighboring country receives EU candidate status as soon as possible.

Nearly 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees have entered Poland since the Russian war of aggression began on February 24. Poland has granted by far the majority of Ukraine’s roughly 6.5 million refugees. About 44 million people lived in Ukraine before the start of the war.