President of Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a conversation with Andrzej Duda: Nord Stream 2 is a trap for the whole of Europe

24 February 2021 - 21:46

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda.

Particular attention was paid to energy security in Europe. The leaders coordinated steps to further oppose the Nord Stream 2 project and agreed to involve the international community in this process as much as possible. Andrzej Duda agreed with Volodymyr Zelenskyy that every effort should be made to prevent the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

"This project is, in fact, a trap for the whole of Europe. It cannot be allowed. Further boosting of sanctions against this project is a guarantee of Europe's energy security," the President of Ukraine said.

The interlocutors discussed measures taken in Ukraine and Poland in the context of combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed his Polish counterpart about the arrival of the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine made in India, which will allow the vaccination to start in our country immediately.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Andrzej Duda for the initiative to provide Ukraine with 1.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which Poland plans to receive in the framework of joint EU procurement. The Ukrainian President stressed that this step is a strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine, and expressed hope that our state will be able to receive this vaccine in March, after the preparation and conclusion of relevant contracts.

Andrzej Duda inquired about the peace process in Donbas. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the ceasefire was still in place, although the number of violations by militants from the occupied territories had increased. The President of Ukraine informed about the situation in Donbas. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Polish party for its firm support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

A separate topic was the discussion of a number of infrastructure projects near the border between Ukraine and Poland. In particular, the construction and repair of roads and modernization of checkpoints.

The parties agreed to continue an active political dialogue this year, paying special attention to the economic component and the implementation of joint projects. It was noted that the indicators of bilateral trade in 2020, when the world was in a pandemic, added optimism, because the level of bilateral trade was kept at a very high level - almost USD 8 billion.

The President of Ukraine invited the President of Poland to visit Ukraine and personally take part in the festivities on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, as well as in the Crimean Platform Summit. Andrzej Duda thanked for the invitation to join the Crimean Platform project and assured that he would do everything possible to attend the celebration of the anniversary of Ukrainian independence.