(Reuters) – Leaders of Poland and Ukraine pledged on Monday to tackle a thorny political dispute that has damaged their critical wartime alliance and boost defense cooperation as Russia’s invasion approaches its third year.
On his first visit to neighboring Ukraine as Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk delivered a message of friendship to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and said the two sides had “reached a common understanding” over the Polish truckers’ protests.
“Poland will do everything to increase Ukraine’s chances of victory in this war,” Tusk said at a joint press conference.
Warsaw has become a key ally of Kiev in seeking Western financial and military support against Russia, but relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months as border blockades have hurt Ukraine’s economy.
The truckers agreed last week to suspend the protests, which aimed to revoke Ukrainian drivers’ free access to the European Union, until March 1.
“We understand the depth of the reasons that led to this kind of situation, but we draw attention first of all to the depth of the threat facing our peoples,” Zelenskiy said, adding that he welcomed Warsaw’s work on the issue.
Both leaders welcomed their countries’ plans for joint arms production, and Zelenskiy said on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, that they had discussed “a new form of cooperation aimed at large-scale arms purchases for Ukrainian needs”. He gave no details.
Poland’s new government is exploring ways to manufacture more ammunition and military equipment as part of a new aid package for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said last week.
Tusk’s trip coincides with Ukraine’s Unity Day, which celebrates the 1919 unification of western and eastern Ukraine, which has faced numerous invasions throughout its long history.
Zelenskiy marked the day by announcing plans to offer dual Ukrainian citizenship to ethnic Ukrainians and their descendants from all over the world except Russia.