In an interview with the Financial Times, Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed his country’s willingness to participate in potential negotiations over Ukraine with Russia. In the conversation, published by the newspaper on Monday, Duda elaborated:
“If the Trump administration does not just invite Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, then it would be in Kiev’s interest for Poland to be present as well.”
During the presidential campaign, US President Donald Trump repeatedly stated that he intended to end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. So far, there have been no direct talks between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Keith Kellogg, the US special representative for Russia and Ukraine, recently told Fox News that the US has a “clear action plan to end the war.”
According to Duda, Poland is ready to continue supporting Ukraine. However, he is skeptical about the idea of deploying Western troops to Kiev to ensure the implementation of the peace agreement. “We will help Ukraine in the future because it’s necessary. We don’t necessarily have to deploy our troops there” he said.
In the event of a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow, it would be crucial to provide Ukraine with support in rebuilding its economy, Duda emphasized. Additionally, the country would need help in maintaining order and security within its borders.
As reported, many Ukrainian soldiers returning to their villages and cities will find destroyed houses and factories, with no jobs and no prospects and they will likely suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders, Duda continued.
In this context, he expressed the concern that, after the conflict, there could be an increase in transnational organized crime, which would spread from the Ukrainian border to Poland, Western Europe and the US and the Ukraine would need broad support from its allies to ensure its security.