Polish President: territorial concessions in Ukraine would be catastrophic mistake
Polish President Andrzej Duda said this in an interview with the British publication The Sunday Times, as reported by Ukrinform and Bankier.pl.
The Polish leader reaffirmed his stance, noting that despite political disputes between Poland and Ukraine, he believes Kyiv should be given all the support it needs to secure a full victory over Russia, which is essential for both Ukraine and Europe. Responding to the question of whether Ukraine could realistically reclaim all occupied territories given Russia's numerical advantage, Duda countered, "If you’re so generous towards Russia, why not give them a piece of your own land?"
“On what grounds, may I ask, does Russia deserve anything — especially someone else’s territory?" he stressed.
Duda underscored that Poland’s East Shield project is a “new version of the Iron Curtain.” While some Western politicians may view this prospect with concern, he stated: “If the security of my compatriots is to be safeguarded by the Iron Curtain being put up again, then OK, there will be an Iron Curtain as long as we are on the free side of it.”
As Ukrinform reports, Poland plans to build a 700-kilometer fortification along its borders with Russia and Belarus by 2028 as part of the comprehensive East Shield initiative, including detection systems, alert systems, advanced bases, logistical hubs, and anti-drone measures.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Piotr Lukasiewicz, Poland’s Acting Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine, explained that the East Shield project, inspired by Ukraine’s experience, aims to protect against potential incursions from Russia and Belarus.
In 2022, Poland erected a 5.5-meter-high, 186-kilometer-long barrier along its border with Belarus, along with an advanced electronic monitoring system, in response to Belarus and Russia’s orchestrated “migration pressure” tactic on Poland and the Baltic countries' borders since mid-2021.
