On March 26, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Olexandr Mischenko held a meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, National Coordinator of Poland for International Assistance and Development Wojciech Zajączkowski.

Olexandr Mischenko expressed gratitude to Poland and its citizens for their comprehensive support and solidarity with Ukraine, as well as assistance to our country and Ukrainians who were forced to find themselves on the territory of Poland after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted timely reaction of the Polish state and society to the Russian shelling of Ukraine's energy infrastructure during this winter. He especially noted the transfer of generators and other equipment within the framework of the "Warmth from Poland for Kyiv" initiative, which contributed to the prompt restoration of the stability of Ukraine's energy sector and made it possible to support the civilian population during severe frosts.

Wojciech Zajączkowski stressed that Poland is making every effort to support our state, outlining areas of assistance, including financial assistance, in the implementation of projects in Ukraine. In this context, the Polish side informed about the prospects for opening centers for multilateral support and rehabilitation of Ukrainian veterans, as well as expanding in Ukraine Poland's experience in the functioning of voluntary fire brigades from among volunteers within local communities, already implemented in six territorial communities of the Rivne region within the framework of the implementation of the "Firefighters" program.

For reference: this model is based on Poland’s experience, where the activities of the state fire service are complemented by the involvement of residents of local communities. Volunteers are organised into teams that can be rapidly deployed to respond to fires before professional fire service units arrive. Poland is also supporting the implementation of this approach in Ukraine. In addition, in the Rivne region, the Polish side provides training for volunteer fire brigades and supplies them with the necessary procedures and technical equipment to ensure effective fire response.

Particularly, the parties discussed the issue of the post-war reconstruction of our country in the context of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2026), scheduled to take place in June in Gdańsk, as well as the event in the “On the Way to URC” format, which will be held in April in Rzeszów and will focus on the new - security and defence dimension of the Conference.

Special focus during the meeting was placed on the importance of maintaining and increasing pressure on Russia, practical interaction in strengthening the defense capabilities of Ukraine and Poland, joint efforts to counter Russia–Iran cooperation, as well as assistance to partners in the Middle East, primarily using the context of the experience and capabilities of our state.