Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that the Lublin Triangle platform of Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine remained committed to supporting Kyiv in its fight against Russia's ongoing invasion.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Lublin alongside his Lithuanian and Ukrainian counterparts, Sikorski said the Lublin Triangle, established in 2020 as a regional cooperation platform, “supports and will continue to support the heroically fighting Ukraine.”
He added that Poland has sent 45 separate shipments of weapons and ammunition and is “working on additional deliveries.”
He also said that Poland has allocated EUR 4 billion to date for military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, excluding coordinated aid from other countries.
The three foreign ministers met to mark the fifth anniversary of the Lublin Triangle, a trilateral initiative launched by Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine to strengthen political, economic and cultural ties.
The meeting took place in Lublin, the Polish city where the original agreement was signed.
Sikorski told reporters that the initiative serves as evidence of continuity in Poland’s foreign policy and underlines the need for rapid adaptation to new security threats in Europe. “The Lublin Triangle promotes democratic and parliamentary values,” he said.
Sikorski also noted that Poland would host the next international conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, and announced that the three countries' StratCom teams – government experts responsible for countering disinformation – will meet later this year to discuss coordinated efforts against Russian propaganda.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said discussions during the meeting covered long-term peace for Ukraine, further sanctions on Russia and Ukraine’s path toward European Union membership.
He highlighted Lithuania’s role in rebuilding schools and hospitals in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of joint efforts to fight Russian disinformation.
“Why do they do it?” Budrys asked. “Because for them, this is an operation, a job for Putin going back to his KGB days—deception. That’s why they are spending tens of millions of euros worldwide to spread these messages.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the Lublin Triangle is a platform for partnership and shared future, which Russia’s aggression has put at risk.
“Ukraine, by resisting Russian aggression, has given Europe time, at the cost of the lives of its soldiers and citizens,” he said.
Sybiha accused Russia of using banned chemical weapons in the war and called for individual sanctions against those responsible.
He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prolonging the war to avoid accountability for war crimes and cling to power. “He’s been in power for more than a quarter of a century, longer than Lenin or Stalin,” he said. “Together, we must force Russia to make peace, because it only understands strength.”
Joint historical dialogue
Sybiha added that the three ministers had agreed to launch a joint historical dialogue involving scholars from each country to address painful issues in their shared past.
“We must resolve these difficult questions in order to deny Russia the instruments it uses to divide us,” he said. “There were difficult chapters in our common history, and we must speak about them directly and openly. This format enables such conversations and helps us arrive at a shared understanding, which is essential for our societies.”
Earlier in the day, the three ministers laid wreaths at the Union of Lublin Monument, which commemorates the 1569 agreement between Poland and Lithuania that established the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest states in early modern Europe.
The Lublin Triangle was formed on July 28, 2020, as a regional partnership to deepen political, economic, cultural and societal cooperation between Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP