World must demand withdrawal of Russian troops from all of Ukraine - Duda

That’s according to Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, who delivered an emotional address to Ukrainians and Poles at the Royal Castle in Warsaw on Wednesday, standing alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The Polish leader began his speech by praising Zelensky’s leadership, calling him a "hero of the free world," and expressing his respect for "the great Ukrainian people who are waging a heroic fight for independence".

"Ukraine has shown to the whole world that it is capable of resisting a neighboring power, a state much larger and theoretically much more powerful. Putin has not achieved any of his strategic goals, and Russia has suffered huge losses. This is a major success of the Ukrainian state, Ukrainian society, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine," said Duda.

In addition, he pointed out that the end of the war is nowhere near, and that Ukraine needs further support and immediate supplies of modern weapons.

"Poland was and will be one of the champions of this support... There is no time to wait. That is why we immediately supply Ukraine with tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns, and in recent days, also aircraft. And we also set an example for other states, and sometimes overcome their resistance regarding arms deliveries," the Polish president noted.

He added that Ukrainians were now fighting not only for their independence, but also for the security of the whole of Europe, and also assured that "the support of a free and independent country was, is, and will be a non-political issue in our country, regardless of whether the leftists are in power are the right-wingers."

Along with this, Duda noted that "in many countries, more than 400 days into the war, fatigue, exhaustion, and despondency arise: "There is a temptation, fueled by Russian propaganda and disinformation, to achieve a cease-fire as soon as possible at any cost – to conclude a peace deal with Russia that is not beneficial for Ukraine. In fact, this would imply that Russia continued to occupy Ukrainian lands it had captured."

He emphasized that Poland will never agree to this, emphasizing that only Ukraine will decide how to end this war.

"Only Ukraine has the right to decide on its sovereignty and on what grounds they will run peace negotiations. The only condition that world leaders should demand from Russia is the complete withdrawal of troops from the territory of Ukraine. The complete withdrawal of troops. Out of the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine," said the Polish leader.

He added that "there can be no negotiations held or decisions taken behind the Ukrainians’ backs."