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Russian aggression in Ukraine is 'neo–colonial war,' Polish president tells UN

06.03.2023 07:00
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has told the United Nations that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "a neo–colonial war" and that the Russians have abducted more than 100,000 children from Ukraine.
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  • Polish President speaking at the UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries
Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks at the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar on Sunday, March 5, 2023.
Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks at the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar on Sunday, March 5, 2023.Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

Addressing the 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries, Duda said on Sunday: "I appear before you as the president of a country on whose borders a brutal neo–colonial war is now taking place."

He added: "Yes, the Russian aggression against Ukraine is a neo–colonial war. The empire has invaded a neighbouring country to seize its lands and its hidden wealth and profit from it."

Duda told the conference in Qatar that "the empire is also kidnapping people, including children, and sending them deep into Russia."

He said: "Ukrainians estimate that more than a hundred thousand children have been abducted by the Russians. And those who refuse to submit to its will – the empire kills."

Duda also said in his speech on Sunday that Russia's invasion of Ukraine dealt "a heavy blow" to economies worldwide, impeding global GDP growth and pushing up the prices of many goods.

He added that the "economic impacts of the war are felt more and more distinctly not only in Europe but on other continents, including Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and least developed countries in particular."

He told his UN audience in the Qatari capital Doha that Poland was developing a network of diplomatic missions across the world, including in Africa, "to develop political contacts, as well as economic and scientific ones."

"We do believe that through broad cooperation, exchange of knowledge and experiences we can effectively assist the least developed countries," he declared.

He said Poland was aware of "the growing need for long–term support to reduce the vulnerability of developing countries to external crises: food, energy, and climate."

He added that Polish companies were ready to offer "tried and tested, price–competitive farming equipment, as well as ICT solutions suitable to be used in financial and insurance sectors."

Poland’s UN ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski has told reporters that the UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries is held once in a decade, bringing together the world’s 46 least developed countries and “wealthier partners from various parts of the globe.”

"For the least developed countries, it’s the most important event of the decade," Szczerski said. "It offers them an opportunity to meet with political partners, UN agencies and business partners.”

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, president.pl