Polish President Andrzej Duda on his country’s unwavering solidarity with Ukraine

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour, Polish President Andrzej Duda explains why U.S. President Biden’s surprise visit to Kyiv earlier this week sent an “incredibly powerful political and strategic signal,” calling it “a demonstration of strength.”  

Speaking just days ahead of the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, President Duda discussed the deep impact the ongoing conflict has had on his country and the historical ties which compelled Poles to show a “reflex of solidarity” with Ukrainians from the very outset.

“This is also a matter of historical remembrance in Poland,” Duda explained. “We know what Russian invasion is, we know what Russian slavery is.”

He also recalled his poignant last words with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before the first Russian missiles struck Ukraine this time last year: “I remember, when I said goodbye to Volodymyr, Volodymyr told me, ‘Andrzej, I do not know whether we would see each other again.’ That was a very powerful moment, a moving moment.”

Duda also reaffirmed the importance of arming Ukraine, stating that the key to ensure their victory against Russia is “modern weapons, so that they have means to push Russians with.”

In the wide-ranging interview, the Polish President also spoke of the importance of squashing Russian imperialism: “Russia is destabilizing a lot of countries across the globe…But this is a demonstration that Russia is restoring its imperial ambitions and Russia has to stop that. The free world has to force Russia to do that.”

Key quotes from President Duda:
On the significance of President Biden’s trip to Kyiv:   

“Such a project, the risk taken by President Biden and all those responsible for his security, is incredible. And this courage of the President. I just remember when we were traveling the train for the first time and then every next time, I had a bulletproof vest lying next to me, a military vest, plus helmet, and a warning was given to me that if any problem happened, if anything happened to the train, if – God forbid – there was a shot fired nearby, the first thing I was supposed to do was to put all those things on myself. So it’s not safe there. So the very thing that the President traveled to Kyiv, that he was there, it sends an incredibly powerful signal, a political and strategic signal. It is a demonstration of strength of the United States, indeed. It is like saying that the American leader – who, as a matter of fact, is the leader of the free world – is able to travel, even while war is raging, even to a place where there is a potential danger, he is not afraid, because the United States is strong enough to protect him.”

On the deep impact of the Russian invasion on Poland:

“We are in a very difficult moment right now. You need to be in Poland in order to feel what is happening. You can see Ukrainian refugees everywhere in Poland today. You can come across them on the bus, on public transportation, you can come across them on the train, you will meet them in an office. So they’re everywhere in Poland… And today you are not seeing what you saw one year ago: those crowds on the border, where people were standing in despair with empty eyes and frightened people had to leave all they had behind. They were moving to the border, and there, there was this reflex of solidarity demonstrated by us, the Poles. People went to the border and simply they took people to their homes, mothers and children, without asking their names, without asking where they were coming from. People just knew that these were refugees fleeing from war and fleeing from the Russian invasion.

So this is also a matter of historical remembrance in Poland. We know what Russian invasion is, we know what Russian slavery is.”

Reflecting on the day war broke out, one year ago:

“On 23rd February 2022, I was in Kyiv, I talked to Volodymyr Zelensky just a couple of hours before Russian invasion. And at the last moment actually, we made it to the Polish border, because we traveled by car back then. So we crossed the border, and right after that, Russian missiles struck. So I remember, when I said goodbye to Volodymyr, Volodymyr told me, “Andrzej, I do not know whether we would see each other again.” That was a very powerful moment, a moving moment.”

On what needs to be done to ensure Ukrainian victory:

“So first of all, what they need is weapons, because the difference is huge in terms of quantity. What Russians have got today is old equipment, very old equipment…[but] they’ve got this advantage of steel, of the mass, and they are crushing Ukrainians. There are 140 million Russians and less than 40 million Ukrainians. So it’s enough to look at this clear data to understand that under normal circumstances, unless Ukraine gets support, it has no chance of defending itself on its own against Russia. That is why Ukraine needs this support. What kind of support can we offer to Ukraine as allies? What the United States is doing, what we are doing as Poland as well – we have donated to Ukraine 300 tanks from our stocks. Right now we are providing more tanks to Ukraine. At this moment, we are sending the state-of-the-art tanks that we have, Leopard tanks, we are providing a company of Leopard tanks. We have organized an allied collection, so to speak, of tanks for Ukraine.

“Today, the key to make sure that Ukraine defends itself against Russia is modern weapons so that Ukrainian soldiers can efficiently fight, so that they have means to push Russians with.”

“We’re ready to send our tanks, our tanks are ready to be sent. Right now, we are training in Poland Ukrainian soldiers so that they are able to operate those tanks.”

On Russia’s role in Europe after the war:

“First and foremost, what is most important to us is to make sure that Russia leaves behind its imperial ambitions. To us, Russia’s imperial ambitions mean a permanent attempt to push us back into the Russian sphere of influence, a constant attempt at grabbing our land, our economy, so in a sense, making slaves out of us.

Russia deployed its troops to Syria. So Russia is destabilizing a lot of countries across the globe, and Ukraine has suffered this frontal attack from Russia. But this is a demonstration that Russia is restoring its imperial ambitions and Russia has to stop that. The free world has to force Russia to do that.”

On defending the Polish border:

“Please remember that in northern Poland, there is 65 kilometers of Polish-Lithuanian border. That’s a very thin section called Suwałki corridor, or Suwałki Gap today. So this is the only section of the border which joins Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – in other words, the three Baltic states – with the rest of NATO and the European Union. This is a crucially important place. And there, unfortunately, we need to be aware, different situations can happen, such as Russian provocations… So we as Poland have got this double duty to protect this border.”

On Poland’s commitment to EU principles in the judiciary and freedom of press:

“The problem is as follows: either we believe in democracy, or we do not. Either we approve the principles of democracy, or not. . If we approve the principle of democracy, we have got a very simple matter: there is general election, people vote in general election, and they make their choices. So I have always been open about my program. In Poland we have got full freedom of speech and the freedom to present your opinions.”

“We are politicians of a conservative profile, I would put it this way. Therefore they do not agree with us in Brussels, and they are doing everything to make sure that we are, that our power is taken away. I believe this is not democratic, because we can compare it to somebody not agreeing in Brussels with the choice made by the Polish people.”

On accusations that Poland has become an ‘illiberal democracy’:

“It’s very easy to say that somebody is not democratic, liberal. I can also say that the authorities in the European Commission are authoritarian, and they are trying to impose on the member states other customs different than what is normal in those countries. It is contrary to the treaties, it is contradictory to the basic ideals on which the European Union was based from its inception.”