On Friday, September 12, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha welcomed his counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski, in Kyiv.

During the talks, the parties focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the field of defence, including the establishment of joint ventures, increasing investment in Ukraine’s defence industry, and the potential production of armaments in Poland. Minister Sybiha emphasized the importance of leveraging NATO’s SAFE mechanism and the 5% defence spending commitment for Ukraine`s support.

“The security of our nations is indivisible. The recent brazen incursion of Russian drones into Polish territory is further proof of this. Russia continues to reject peaceful solutions and instead opts for escalation, testing our reactions. This is a test of unity and strength—and our response must be equally strong,” the Ukrainian Foreign Minister underscored.

Minister Sybiha highlighted Poland’s leadership in supporting Ukraine since the beginning of Russian aggression in 2014. According to him, Poland has provided 46 defence assistance packages since the onset of the full-scale invasion and continues to host a logistics hub on its territory, through which Ukraine receives the largest volume of military aid.

Another key topic of the talks was the exchange of experience and technologies aimed at strengthening joint responses to Russian drone threats. In this context, Minister Sybiha emphasized the importance of the statement made by the Lublin Triangle countries.

“We must work on a joint air defence system and create an effective air shield over Europe. Ukraine’s air defence capabilities are an integral part of this shield, as emphasized by the President of Ukraine. By strengthening our capabilities, our allies directly enhance their own security,” said the Ukrainian Foreign Minister.

The Minister also stressed the need to increase pressure on Moscow to halt the financing of its war against Ukraine. According to Andrii Sybiha, additional sanctions are required in the banking and energy sectors, particularly targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet”, 70% of which still operates in the Baltic Sea.

During the meeting, the sides noted substantial progress in addressing sensitive issues of national memory and shared historical heritage and agreed to further promote constructive dialogue. Minister Sybiha pointed to successful exhumation efforts in Ukraine, particularly in Puzhnyky and Zboyishcha, and announced that new work is expected to begin in Yurechkova, Poland, by the end of September.

“Ukrainians and Poles are closely tightened peoples, and we have demonstrated this many times in our joint struggle against a common enemy — from Orsha to the Miracle on the Wisla, and now in resisting Russian aggression. When we are united, we are invincible”, the Minister emphasized.

According to the Foreign Minister, the Ukrainian side is counting on the resumption of the Ukrainian-Polish Historians’ Forum as a platform for joint research into complex historical topics.

Finally, Andrii Sybiha expressed gratitude to the Polish people for their steadfast support of Ukraine’s aspirations for EU and NATO membership. According to him, this will be a key guarantee of security for the entire European continent.