Polish President Andrzej Duda has commented on Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's "peace proposal" addressed to Ukraine, saying that it is "crushing demands" and "exorbitant territorial claims." He said this before flying to Switzerland for the Peace Summit, UNN reports, citing RMF24.
About the Peace Summit
Duda reminded that the conference will be attended by representatives of about 100 countries, and, in his opinion, the meeting will be a good opportunity to show geographically remote countries, for which Russian aggression is something abstract and distant, that the problem is serious and that it poses a danger not only to Europe, Ukraine's neighbors, but also to the whole world.
"This conference is intended to show geographically distant partners the scale of the threat to the entire world posed by Russian aggression against Ukraine," the Polish president said.
"I hope that this message will be conveyed clearly (...), reflecting the situation in the region. Where today Belarus and Russia are hybridly attacking Poland, the Baltic states, (...) Finland, using migration pressure," Duda said. The idea, he said, is to convey to the partners the scale of Russia's actions, its "perverted methods" and how dangerous this aggression is.
He emphasized that Russia must not be allowed to win this war. Russian imperialism cannot be satisfied with the territories of Ukraine, the President of Poland emphasized, adding that stopping Russian aggression and strengthening Poland's security are the most important goals of Polish international policy today.
On Putin's demands
Referring to the demands put forward by the Russian president to Ukraine and the concept of ending the war, Duda said that these are "crushing demands" and "exorbitant territorial claims", but that in this way Vladimir Putin has shown the entire international community "the quintessence of Russian brutal imperialism". Putin is demanding territory from which Russian troops have already been withdrawn, Duda noted. This alone will prove to the whole world what his true intentions are. That this is a brutal attack on a sovereign independent state and unjustified territorial demands, Duda said.
Russia is saying: yes, we will continue to violate international law, we have great respect for the entire international order, the Polish president added.
He expressed hope that this would be sufficient proof for the countries of the free world that Ukraine should be supported.
"Russian imperialism must be repelled. The head of this dragon must be cut off, and this must happen thanks to the tough attitude of the free world, and this is what we are striving to achieve for the security of the Republic of Poland," the President said.
He explained that the international community consists not only of big players, but also of many countries in various international forums. Remember that the voice of the international community also matters, and the policies that the international community implements also matter, he said.
About China
The Polish president noted that China will not be present at the summit, but "they will certainly be watching very closely and listening very carefully to what we are saying." "Soon I will go on an official visit to China and, among other things, I will talk to President Xi Jinping," he added.
The Polish president said that it is necessary to talk to China about the war in Ukraine. "It is a pity that they are not participating, but this conference is, so to speak, a kind of bridge to negotiate with the Chinese leader on how to ease the war in Ukraine," he said.
Duda noted that the war is also disadvantageous to China's economic interests in Europe, as "China wants to be able to freely deliver its goods here, and it knows how unstable the sea routes are today." If it was not important, President Xi Jinping would not have discussed the issue with other leaders, as he spoke to me several times in such a decisive manner, he added.
AddendumAddendum
The Peace Summit is taking place in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on June 15-16. The aim of the meeting of heads of state and government is to develop a common understanding of the path to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. This should become the basis for the peace process.
Representatives of more than 90 countries will gather in Switzerland for a conference on peace in Ukraine. On Friday, Putin set conditions for peace talks with Ukraine.