Kiev responds to Putin and Lukashenko's hints: Ukraine and Poland will always be "united"
Ukrainian diplomacy chief Dmitro Kuleba on Sunday gave assurances that Kiev and Warsaw will "always be united" after remarks by Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Lukashenko in which they accused Poland of wanting to take back territory in western Ukraine, AFP reports.
"Putin's attempts to drive a wedge between Kiev and Warsaw are as futile as the failed invasion of Ukraine. Unlike Russia, Poland and Ukraine have learned from history and will always stand united against Russian imperialism and disrespect for international law," the Ukrainian minister said on Twitter.
During his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Sunday, Aleksandr Lukashenko, a staunch ally of the Kremlin, accused Warsaw of wanting to transfer territory in western Ukraine to Poland, describing this as "unacceptable", Agerpres.ro reports.
Vladimir Putin made similar statements on Friday, provoking the fury of Warsaw, which "urgently" summoned the Russian ambassador the next day and described the Russian president's statements as "provocative".
The Russian president on Friday accused Poland of having "vindictive plans" and of wanting to take back territory in western Ukraine, a recurrent accusation by the Russian authorities.
During a meeting of the National Security Council, Putin said among other things that the western regions of present-day Poland were a "gift from Stalin" to the Poles after World War II.
