President Vladimir Zelensky celebrated the two countries’ ‘friendship’ weeks after granting Poles the same rights as Ukrainians
Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands during a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine on August 23, 2022. © Getty Images / Alexey Furman
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky unveiled the ‘Alley of Courage’ in central Kiev on Tuesday, celebrating the supporters of the fight against Russia. Located outside the national parliament, the venue is adorned with plaques embedded in the street reminiscent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Polish President Andrzej Duda, who visited Kiev to meet Zelensky, took part in the unveiling ceremony, receiving the first plaque at the site. It’s the third time Duda has travelled to Ukraine since the hostilities broke out in late February.
“The name of President of Poland Andrzej Duda will always be on this alley. It is a symbol of courage, a symbol of friendship, a symbol of support for Ukraine when it is really needed,” Zelensky said during the ceremony.
The Alley will include the names of not only political leaders but other unspecified “partners” from the collective West and elsewhere, who have been assisting the Ukrainian government since the beginning of the conflict, Zelensky added.
Andrzej Duda and Volodymyr Zelensky look at the plaque dedicated to Andrzej Duda during their press conference on August 23, 2022 in Kiev, Ukraine. © Getty Images / Alexey Furman
Poland has been among the top supporters of Kiev, having sent hundreds of tanks, long-range artillery systems and other military hardware to prop up Ukrainian forces in their fight against Russia. Moscow has repeatedly warned the collective West against “pumping” Ukraine with weaponry, insisting such aid would only prolong the conflict rather than change its ultimate outcome.
Back in July, Kiev passed a bill that guaranteed Poles rights similar to those of Ukraine’s own citizens. Critics warned that such a move could result in the merger of the countries and possibly the dissolution of the Ukrainian state in the future.
Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, citing Kiev’s failure to implement the Minsk agreements, designed to give the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk special status within the Ukrainian state. The protocols, brokered by Germany and France, were first signed in 2014. Former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko has since admitted that Kiev’s main goal was to use the ceasefire to buy time and “create powerful armed forces.”
In February 2022, the Kremlin recognized the Donbass republics as independent states and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked.
