Duda says Ukraine should restore territorial integrity, including with Crimea

President Andrzej Duda of Poland made the statement while speaking with journalists on a visit to Nairobi (Kenya), Ukrinform reports with reference to Radio Poland.

"Russia cannot win this war. If they win, they will attack again. We, Poles, speak about this with full responsibility, we know what Russian imperialism means, as we have experienced it several times over the past centuries," Duda said.

He recalled that Poland had been under occupation during the time of tsarist Russia for 123 years, before falling into the Soviet zone of influence.

Duda emphasized that Russian imperialism must be stopped, Russia must withdraw from the occupied Ukrainian territories, and war criminals must be held accountable.

According to the Polish president, Ukraine should fully restore control over the country's territory within internationally recognized borders, including Crimea.

"I’d like to emphasize this because let's keep in mind that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which actually began in 2014, also started with the occupation of Crimea. And this occupation of Crimea continues to this day. Russia must hand over the occupied territories back to Ukraine, and Ukraine must restore control over all internationally recognized territories. This should be the end of this war," Duda emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Polish President Andrzej Duda is visiting East African countries - Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania - on February 4-10. One of the tasks during the visit will be to raise awareness about Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Earlier, in an interview with Kanal Zero, Duda questioned the possibility of the liberation of Crimea, noting that the peninsula had been under Russian control for most of the time throughout history. The ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Polish foreign minister, and many other Polish politicians reacted to the statement, stressing that Crimea is part of Ukraine. Subsequently, the Polish leader assured that his position regarding Russian aggression against Ukraine is clear: Russia is the invader, it must lose this war, and the free world must help Kyiv.