President Andrzej Duda and Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak visited Latvia on Tuesday and met with Polish soldiers stationed there as part of NATO forces. Both leaders stressed the crucial importance of NATO troops protecting the eastern flank of the Alliance. “Anyone who has seen Irpin, Borodyanka, Bucha, Mariupol, and other places in Ukraine, understands why the allied forces are stationed along NATO’s eastern flank,” the president said. “So that no one attacks us,” he added.
President Duda visited Latvia on Tuesday and met with Polish soldiers stationed in the Adazi military base as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battalion.
President Andrzej Duda in Latvia PAP / Marcin Obara
During the visit, Duda told the soldiers that he had planned to come to Latvia back in April. “I couldn’t see you then because I went to see with my own eyes why you are here. I went to Kiev invited by president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and during my visit, I also went to Irpin and Borodyanka, from where Russian forces had been pushed back a few days earlier, “he explained.
“Anyone who has seen Irpin, Borodyanka, Bucha, Mariupol and other places in Ukraine, understands why the allied forces are stationed along NATO eastern flank, and why our soldiers fulfill duties also in other countries – they serve to ensure the safety of other states, nations, and the Alliance as a whole, “the president stressed.
Andrzej Duda in Borodyanka (photo taken on April 13) Jakub Szymczuk / KPRP
He added that the allied troops were stationed along NATO’s eastern flank “so that no one attacks us,”. “Due to our strength, our readiness, due to our joint allied preparedness and sturdiness, it’s simply not worth the effort,” Duda said.
“Anyone who is identified as an attacker on our territory, as someone who trespasses, attacks, or plans to take control of it, shall be pushed back or destroyed immediately. That’s why it’s not worth doing it, and that’s how it should be,” the Polish president said.
Residential building in Borodyanka severely damaged as a result of Russian shellingPAP / Maksim Poliszczuk
Błaszczak: Kremlin wants to rebuild the empire of evil
President Duda was accompanied by Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak , who stressed in his speech the huge significance of NATO troops stationed on the eastern flank, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Russia attacked Ukraine. The Kremlin decided to violate all rules of international law, it decided to reconstruct the empire of evil, which had been defeated by the free world in the past. Yet today – as we can see – the Kremlin has revived” its urge to oppress, attack and subordinate other countries against their will, “the minister said.
“We strenuously protest against it, and we shall do everything not to let the empire of evil reemerge – that’s why we support Ukraine,” he added.
Minister Błaszczak also stressed that the main task of the Polish Army and the government was to protect the homeland, and for that reason. He added that efforts were being made to strengthen Polish Armed Forces and to provide them with modern military equipment.
“We’re drawing conclusions from what is happening in Ukraine, preparing our armed forces to deter the enemy,” the Defense Minister said.
