On May 14, in Warsaw, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa held a meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Wojciech Zając, and also met with representatives of the Ukrainian community in Poland.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Deputy Minister informed her interlocutor about Russia's massive combined attack against Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, on May 14.

"This attack once again confirms that Russia wants only war and the destruction of Ukraine. Ukraine, in turn, is defending and will continue to defend itself, and will not make any compromises that threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine is interested in achieving a just and lasting peace," stressed Mariana Betsa.

During the conversation with Wojciech Zając, Mariana Betsa thanked Poland for its unwavering support and solidarity with Ukraine.

In particular, the Deputy Minister highly appreciated Poland's energy assistance to Ukraine, above all the "Warmth from Poland for Kyiv" initiative, during the difficult winter months of systematic Russian missile and drone attacks against Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure.

Mariana Betsa paid special attention to the coordination of efforts within the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, whose successful high-level meeting had taken place the day before in Brussels, and expressed gratitude for Poland's active participation in the aforementioned initiative.

The interlocutors also exchanged views on the state of relations between Ukraine and Poland with countries of the Latin America and Africa regions.

On the eve of the meeting, Mariana Betsa met with representatives of the Ukrainian community in Poland. The Deputy Minister briefed attendees on the security situation in Ukraine and the current state of affairs at the front, emphasizing the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the Defence Forces of Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.

"Preserving the lives and safety of Ukrainian citizens, maintaining sustained communication with Ukrainians abroad, increasing sanctions pressure on Russia, advancing Ukraine's integration into the European Union and NATO, and seeking additional international opportunities to strengthen the Ukrainian state are the key priorities of Ukrainian diplomacy," underscored Mariana Betsa.

During the meeting, participants discussed issues related to the legal status and conditions of stay of Ukrainian citizens in Poland, as well as access to social support, medical care and education.

Special attention was given to countering Russian disinformation in Poland and worldwide, as well as to the need to strengthen the information resilience of Ukrainian communities abroad. The importance of developing Ukrainian cultural, educational, spiritual and civic spaces as an element of preserving national identity and strengthening the Ukrainian voice abroad was emphasized.