KYIV. Oct 12 (Interfax) - The internationally-recognized borders of Ukraine must be restored, and the sanctions on Russia must remain in place until the "occupation" of the Ukrainian territories is ended, Polish President Andrzej Duda said.
"I reaffirm that Poland stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine as concerns Ukraine's borders, and these must be internationally-recognized borders again. This means that Ukraine should both regain control over the parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and regain control over Crimea. I'd like to stress clearly: the issue of Crimea is also very important here," Duda said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday.
Poland shares the conviction that Crimea is currently occupied, and it has said this not only in Kyiv and Warsaw, but also at international forums, he said.
"The sanctions that have been imposed in the wake of Russia's aggression are absolutely natural to us, and we believe that the sanctions policy must continue resolutely until the occupation is ended, and we will regularly address the EU states and other international communities on this. The situation is clear to us here: any amendment of borders following WWII, despite nations and their right [to self-determination], is unacceptable, the international community can never agree to this, and I hope it won't agree to this," Duda said.
Poland will hold the chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2022 and will support Ukraine in this organization, he said.
"I can assure you, Mr. President, that Ukrainian issues, the issues of Ukraine's sovereignty and Ukraine's borders, will be on the agenda there; we will remember this, and Ukraine can count on Poland's support," Duda said.
Zelensky thanked Duda for his clear position regarding the preservation of the sanctions on Russia.
"I'm glad that our views on ways to end the war are identical to those of Mr. President Duda. I really value your personal attention to Ukraine, your clear position with regard to its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and [the opinion] that international pressure and the sanctions on the Russian Federation must continue until the full de-occupation of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula," Zelensky said at the press conference.