Polish, Ukrainian defence ministers talk military ties

The talks focused on cooperation in army training and exercises, in addition to joint defence industry projects and the development of a multinational brigade consisting of Polish, Lithuanian and Ukrainian units, the officials said after the meeting in Warsaw on Monday.

They added that they had also discussed the security situation in Europe and further afield, in addition to developments in the east of Ukraine.

Poland’s Macierewicz declared after the meeting that an independent Ukraine was a “strategic partner” for Warsaw. He also said that Poland was determined to continue supporting the independence of its eastern neighbour “in all possible ways.”

Macierewicz noted that Poltorak had come to Warsaw to “celebrate Poland’s independence” on the anniversary of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, a landmark clash that he said ended in “a great victory” over the Russian Bolsheviks for Poland “together with Ukraine because Ukrainian troops fought alongside Polish troops" at the time.

Macierewicz told reporters that Poltorak had invited him to join the celebrations of Ukraine’s independence later in August.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian soldiers were among units from more than a dozen allied and partner states that joined Polish troops during a high-profile military parade in Warsaw marking Poland's Armed Forces Day.

(str/pk)

Source: Polskie Radio