Canadian PM vows to support Poland in welcoming refugees from Ukraine

Poland’s leaders on Thursday held talks with the Canadian prime minister, with the fate of war refugees from Ukraine top of the agenda.  

Poland's President Andrzej Duda (R) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Warsaw on Thursday, March 10, 2022.

PAP/Leszek Szymański

It came as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued for the fifteenth day.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters that his meeting with Canada’s Justin Trudeau focused on humanitarian aid for Ukraine, as well as the role of the NATO alliance amid the Russian aggression.

I'm here with the Prime Minister of Canada, @JustinTrudeau. This is his first visit to Poland but I hope for more. These dark days need our solidarity. We spoke about NATO and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. I thanked Canada for supporting tough sanctions against Russia. pic.twitter.com/e05HDyveEj

— Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) March 10, 2022

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda also met Trudeau to discuss assistance for war refugees from Ukraine and ways to fund the post-war reconstruction of Poland’s eastern neighbour. 

Afterwards, the Canadian PM vowed to spend CAD 117 million (EUR 83.5 million) on measures to welcome Ukrainians to Canada, thus “lessening the burden on countries such as Poland.” 

“Canada will help you,” he declared, as quoted by the state PAP news agency.

Prezydent @AndrzejDuda po spotkaniu z Premierem Kanady @JustinTrudeau. pic.twitter.com/r9YVdNoOWU

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) March 10, 2022

The Russian assault on Ukraine began on February 24.

Poland on Thursday reported it had accepted 1,43 million people escaping the Russian invasion.

(pm)

Source: PAP, IAR