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Prince of Wales meets Polish, British troops near Ukraine border

22.03.2023 23:30
The Prince of Wales has arrived on a surprise two-day visit to Poland and met with Polish and UK troops in the southeastern city of Rzeszów to thank them for their support for war-torn Ukraine. 
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Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak (second from left) and Prince William (centre) visit Polish soldiers at the 3rd Brigade Territorial Defence Force base in Rzeszów, southeastern Poland, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak (second from left) and Prince William (centre) visit Polish soldiers at the 3rd Brigade Territorial Defence Force base in Rzeszów, southeastern Poland, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.PAP/Darek Delmanowicz

Prince William’s visit, which had been kept secret until his arrival on Wednesday, was announced by the Polish defence ministry, Polish state news agency reported.   

The ministry said in a tweet: “3rd Subcarpathian Brigade of Territorial Defense Rzeszów hosted a meeting of Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and His Royal Highness, Prince William with soldiers of the Polish and British Armed Forces.”

Officials added: “Due to the need to support NATO's eastern flank in the wake of the war in Ukraine, Poland currently hosts about 400 British soldiers, most of whom are deployed in southeastern Poland.”

During the meeting, Poland’s Błaszczak said: “This is a great honor and distinction for me. I am proud that in the presence of the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness, I can thank British and Polish soldiers for their joint service on Polish soil.”

The Polish defence ministry noted: “From December 2021 to August 2022, a subunit of engineering troops from Britain was stationed in Poland, working with Polish soldiers to reinforce the border with Belarus. Since June 2022, a British Sky Sabre air defense system has been stationed in Poland.”

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales said in a tweet after the meeting in Rzeszów: “This afternoon I travelled to Poland to meet British and Polish troops, where I heard about their extraordinary work in support of Ukraine. My message to them on behalf of all of us, thank you!”

The UK royal also visited an air defence military base in Rzeszów, made up of a coalition of British, Polish and US troops, which is helping to support Ukraine, according to news outlets.

He thanked British troops for “defending our freedoms,” officials said.

‘Through support for Ukraine, strong Polish-British ties are further strengthened’

Landing in Warsaw afterwards, Prince William said, as quoted by the UK’s The Guardian newspaper: “It’s fantastic to be back in Poland. Our nations have strong ties. Through our cooperation in support of the people of Ukraine and their freedom, which are also our freedoms and yours, these ties are further strengthened.”

He added: “I’m here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership. I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes.”

Prince William further said: “That’s why this afternoon I visited Rzeszów to meet troops based there to hear their stories and recognise their duty. I was struck by their passion as well as their shared determination to defend our shared freedoms.”

On Wednesday evening, Prince William visited an accommodation centre in Warsaw to meet Ukrainian refugees who had found shelter in the Polish capital, according to news outlets.

He later tweeted: “Thanks to the generosity of the Polish people, those fleeing the war in Ukraine have found shelter. Sadly, the humanitarian crisis continues today with many refugees seeking shelter at accommodation centres like the one we’re visiting today.”

On Thursday, Prince William is set to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda at the presidential palace and visit a local food hall to speak with Ukrainian refugees, according to The Guardian

He said that during the meeting with the Polish president, he would “underline” his continued support and gratitude to the Polish people, the PAP news agency reported.

The prince is also expected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Polish soldiers who lost their lives in conflict, according to The Guardian.

It is Prince William’s first trip to Poland since he visited in 2017 with his wife, the Princess of Wales, the UK paper noted.

Wednesday is day 392 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, interia.pl, The Guardian

Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.