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Russia must pay reparations to Ukraine: Polish president

31.05.2022 00:30
Poland’s president has said that hundreds of billions of dollars seized from Russia by global institutions should be used to rebuild Ukraine after the war.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (right) talks to CNNs Fareed Zakaria. The interview was published on Monday, May 30, 2022.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (right) talks to CNN's Fareed Zakaria. The interview was published on Monday, May 30, 2022.Twitter/Polish Radio

Andrzej Duda made the statement in an interview with the US broadcaster CNN, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Using Russian money to rebuild Ukraine

The president said that Russia “violated all standards of international law” by invading Ukraine and that “it is committing war crimes” in the country.  

He added: “And so first of all - there must be reparations. Secondly, in my view, special funds should be set up for the reconstruction of Ukraine and that is for the international community to decide, for the European Union and other formats for international cooperation.”   

Duda noted that global financial institutions “have frozen more than USD 300 billion worth of Russian assets.”

“I think this money should be channelled to rebuild Ukraine,” Duda told CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "This is the money with which Ukraine should be rebuilt."

Poland ready to become guarantor of Ukraine’s security after the war 

Duda also told CNN that, when it comes to a peace settlement, “nothing can happen above the heads of Ukrainian authorities, nothing can happen above the heads of the Ukrainian people.”

He added: “It has to take place with their participation and such conditions must be … agreed on which they accept.”

The president also said that Poland would agree to be a guarantor of Ukraine’s peace and security after the war. 

He stated: “We believe that as neighbours we are simply obliged. Therefore, if Ukraine offers us to be the guarantor of security and the guarantor of peace when the war is over, and if such terms of the peace treaty are accepted - yes, Poland will participate in this."

Tuesday is day 97 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, edition.cnn.com, transcripts.cnn.com