Polish President Andrzej Duda vows to act as guarantor for safe Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine
In a powerful vow during the Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations, Polish President Andrzej Duda has promised to act as a "guarantor" for the withdrawal of Russian troops, conditional upon their exiting Ukrainian regions. "Russia must comprehend that those who live by the sword, die by the sword," Duda asserted.
President Duda expressed his firm belief that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine must soon come to an end. Speaking in Kyiv on Saturday, August 24, Duda stated his conviction that Ukraine will prevail in its fight for freedom.
"I have never doubted that, through unity and steadfast bravery, the Ukrainian people will secure their independence. Although Ukraine is engaged in a life-and-death struggle against Russian aggression, I firmly believe that this war will soon end with the triumph of freedom over tyranny. From the ruins and scorched lands of this conflict, a new world will be forged," the Polish president emphasized.
During a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, Duda commented on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region.
"When someone invades another, they will be beaten and suffer losses. Only a fool would ignore this fact. If Russian soldiers are finally allowed to return home and leave Ukraine, and if the Ukrainian military were to attack, I would be the first to call President Zelensky and say: 'Do not bomb them, they are leaving'. I can promise this to the Russian soldiers," Duda stated.
Zelensky humorously responded that he might be busy at the time and unable to take the call. Unfazed, Duda assured that he would persist until his message was received.
"However, as long as Russia continues its attack on Ukraine in the war it initiated, it must remember that those who fight with the sword will perish by the sword," the Polish president reiterated.
Andrzej Duda last visited Ukraine on July 9, 2023, where he and President Zelensky attended commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the Volhynia tragedy and honoring the victims of World War II.
On August 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the successful combat deployment of a domestic development — the 'Palyanitsa' drone missile.