In the president’s opinion, maintaining an independent Ukraine is in the best interest of Poland and Europe, and lasting peace can only be secured through restoring Ukraine’s full territorial sovereignty.
President Duda highlighted that Ukrainians show remarkable courage every day and deserve the highest level of respect, but they still need more advanced weaponry to effectively fend off Russian aggression.
"These weapons must be supplied to Ukraine continually. Ukraine must win and fend off Russian aggression, but in order to do so, it needs armaments," President Duda stated.
Asked if Poland could transfer its own F-16 jets to Ukraine, Poland’s head of state made it clear that while they are highly effective, the decision must be made by all of Ukraine's allies and not just individual countries.
President Duda also pointed out that if Poland were to transfer even a portion of its limited number of F-16s, it would need to acquire more, as its current number is insufficient.
"Today, the decision to transfer any fighter jets, any F-16s, outside of Poland is a very serious decision and not an easy one for us," added President Duda.
When asked if he feels frustrated that some European countries do not support Ukraine as actively as Poland does, President Duda replied that a politician cannot be frustrated.
"I'm doing what I believe is right in the interest of the Polish people and from the point of view of the security of our part of Europe and the security of Ukraine. What is important for us is to ensure that Ukraine remains a free, sovereign, and independent state," Polish President stressed.
Reflecting on the impending first anniversary of the Russian onslaught, Duda reminded that just before it began, many experts predicted it would not last longer than 72 hours and that Russia would conquer entire Ukraine.
The interview with President Duda was recorded in Warsaw in connection with the official’s planned visit to the United Kingdom next week.
(pjm)
Source: PAP
https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news,1534893,f-16-dla-ukrainy-stanowisko-prezydenta-dudy.html