Centrum Stosunków Międzynarodowych - 10 October 2016: President Poroshenko’s talks with Polish Security officials over Security Cooperation

The Head of the National Security Bureau of Poland Paweł Soloch visited Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv to discuss a closer military and security cooperation between the two countries. President Poroshenko reaffirmed strong political and cultural ties with Poland stressing gratitude for firmly backing Ukrainian stances concerning the situation in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea. As far as EU sanctions against Russia is concerned, Head Soloch confirmed that there are no reasons to lift such a sanctions as long as the Kremlin will not comply with the Minsk agreements.

“We constantly defend our position, which is that these sanctions should be maintained and extended,” he stated in a meeting with Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov.

Similarly, President Poroshenko positively recognized Poland’s non-recognition position over the legitimacy of the recent Duma elections’ result in the occupied Crimean territories. More specifically, the parties had technical sessions to enhance cooperation in military sphere both bilaterally and within the framework of NATO, paving the way for a forthcoming Polish-Ukrainian bilateral agreement on defence cooperation. “The Ukrainian side has proposed establishing a permanent joint contact and coordination group with the aim of joining the efforts of defence companies, coordinating the work on existing projects, and creating new ones,” the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine’s press service read after the meeting.

Satisfaction has also been expressed for the positive outcome of the professional military training the Polish army is providing to the Ukrainian side. Despite Russia’s threat and aggressiveness within Ukrainian territories, Kyiv’s and President Poroshenko’s ambition to join the West is far from being weakened.