Polish air defence could protect the skies over the West of Ukraine, – the Vice Speaker Olena Kondratiuk
06 July 2024, 12:21
Air defence assets located on the eastern borders of Poland could effectively protect the Ukrainian skies over the border regions. Ukraine asks Poland to consider this possibility.
This was stated by the Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk at a meeting with the Marshal of the Polish Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błonska and Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.
The meeting was held in Vilnius as part of the celebration of Lithuania's Statehood Day.
Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine are members of the Lublin Triangle and coordinate cooperation in various fields.
"Today we talked about humanitarian protection of Ukraine. Under humanitarian protection, I primarily mean the protection of the right of Ukrainians to life. This means protecting cities and energy infrastructure from missile attacks by russia. Again, just like two and a half years ago, Ukraine is begging: close the sky! Give us a chance to live!" said Olena Kondratiuk at the meeting.
She cited data that over 2.5 years of aggression, russia has destroyed 70% of the energy sector and 250,000 homes.
Olena Kondratiuk asked the Speaker of the Upper House of the Polish Parliament, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błonska, to consider the possibility of using Polish air defence to protect the airspace of Ukraine's border regions.
"In addition, I asked the Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, to voice this request at the NATO Speakers' Summit, which will take place in Washington on Monday, on the eve of the NATO anniversary summit," said the Vice Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament.
Małgorzata Kidawa-Błonska and Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen assured that they would do their best to help resolve the issue of protecting Ukraine's skies.
"If NATO is not ready to accept Ukraine into its ranks in the midst of the war, we need to demand that the Allies have enough resources to deter and defeat the enemy and ensure the right to life for Ukrainians!" said Olena Kondratiuk.
The Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is on an official visit to Lithuania at the invitation of the Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen. Olena Kondratiuk is representing Ukraine at the official events marking Lithuania's Statehood Day.