Zbigniew Rau made the statement at a news conference in Warsaw after a meeting with his visiting Irish counterpart Simon Coveney, Poland's PAP news agency reported.
Poland’s top diplomat said he and Coveney had discussed “the situation in Ukraine and the effects of the Russian aggression,” including the influx of refugees to Poland and other countries of the region.
Rau added: “We appreciate Ireland for the unequivocal position it has taken since the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, condemning the aggression and calling for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces.”
Rau stressed that in Poland’s view, “solidarity with Ukraine is an obligation for all the countries that belong to the European and global community of free nations,” the Polish foreign ministry said.
Poland, Ireland united in support of sanctions on Russia, Belarus: FM
Rau told reporters that Warsaw and Dublin were working together at the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to pressure Russia into opening humanitarian corridors in Ukraine and "for the Kremlin’s war crimes to be properly punished."
The Polish foreign minister said his talks with Coveney also focused on the help Poland and Ireland were providing to refugees from Ukraine.
Rau told the news conference that both countries were united in support of “current and future sanctions against Russia and Belarus.”
Meanwhile, Coveney said the international community was seeking to maintain pressure on the Kremlin and searching for diplomatic solutions to stop the war in Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
He added that Ireland would continue to support Poland in its efforts to welcome people fleeing war-torn Ukraine, and paid tribute to the “incredible solidarity” shown by the Polish people.
Earlier, the two top diplomats visited a welcome centre for refugees in central Poland, the PAP news agency reported. The Irish foreign minister told the news conference the facility housed some 7,000 people, half of them children.
Friday was day 23 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.
Poland on Friday reported it had taken in more than 2 million refugees fleeing Russia's attack on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP