"This was a reaction to Russia’s invasion, to the violation of international law, to mass attacks on civilians," said Paweł Kowal, chairman of the Polish parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, as he presented a report on Poland’s aid to Ukraine in 2022–2023.
"It should be seen as a new chapter in Polish-Ukrainian relations during a time of crisis," Kowal added.
Speaking at Ukraine House in the US capital on Friday, Kowal described the Polish response as a collective national effort comparable in spirit to past national uprisings.
"It was a humanitarian uprising," said Kowal, who also heads the Polish government's Council for Cooperation with Ukraine.
The report offers a comprehensive overview of Poland’s governmental, societal and NGO-led aid to Ukraine over the two-year period, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
It was unveiled during a visit to the United States by a delegation from Poland’s parliamentary foreign affairs and defence committees.
According to the report, Poland’s government provided around EUR 25 billion in aid to Ukraine between 2022 and 2023, while Polish citizens contributed an additional EUR 5 billion in private support.
The document says that 77 percent of Poles engaged in refugee assistance, and 7 percent opened their homes to those fleeing the war.
"This is the first report to take a holistic look at Poland’s aid to Ukraine after the Russian invasion," Kowal said.
Co-author Wiktor Babiński emphasised the unprecedented scale of solidarity shown by Polish society, the PAP news agency reported.
"We believe this moment will be remembered as one of the brightest chapters in the history of Polish-Ukrainian relations," he said.
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Source: IAR, PAP