During a surprise visit to Kiev on Saturday, Polish President Andrzej Duda vowed to continue military support for Ukraine.

"From the very beginning, we supported your pro-Western aspirations. Poles supported you during the Orange Revolution and also during the Euromaidan," Duda was quoted as saying by his office.

Kijów. Wypowiedź Prezydenta RP Andrzeja Dudy dla mediów pic.twitter.com/Gou4RxIJ48

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) August 24, 2024

Duda's visit to Kiev coincided with Ukraine's Independence Day celebrations.

During a speech at Sophia Square, he mentioned that Poland was the first country to officially recognize Ukraine's statehood in 1991.

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Since February 2022, Poland has frequently stressed its significant military support for Ukraine, stating it has provided more assistance relative to its GDP than any other nation.

Poland alone has contributed an estimated $3 billion in aid to Ukraine, with around $1.8 billion allocated directly for military assistance.

At the same time, the two countries experienced a wave of tensions over imports of Ukrainian grain.

The situation escalated with heated exchanges between the governments of Ukraine and Poland, including threats from Ukraine to sue Poland at the World Trade Organization.

Amid these tensions, both nations say they recognize the need to reset and strengthen their strategic partnership, especially given their shared interest in pursuing Western aspirations of containing Russia. ​

Meanwhile, Russia has continually cautioned Western countries against sending weapons to Ukraine, arguing that such actions could further escalate the conflict.

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