Duda: Russia is aggressor in Ukraine

“In NATO, we have adopted a ‘two-track’ policy towards Russia. We understand what Russia is doing in the international arena, particularly with regard to its neighbors. We need to realize, and NATO understands this, that was emphasized during the recent [NATO] summit: Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine, it now occupies Crimea, part of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, it is militarily active in different parts of the world, in particular in Syria, it also operates in other areas,” President of Poland Andrzej Duda said at a joint press conference with German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Warsaw on Thursday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, Russian troops are near the Ukrainian borders, Russia conducts offensive exercises and carries out intensive modernization and restructuring of its army, strengthens its military presence in its western regions.

“Therefore, it is difficult not to see a threat from Russia. I think that Joe Biden talked to the President of Russia with such a conviction,” Duda stated.

According to him a “two-track” approach towards Russia, on the one hand, provides for a “firm policy, including sanctions”, which is an instrument of international law, and a need to strengthen defense structures as NATO's presence on the Alliance's eastern flank.

On the other hand, as the President of Poland emphasized, this policy envisages a dialogue, within which Biden held talks with Putin yesterday.

"Biden is an extremely experienced politician and he conducted this conversation very thoughtfully," said Duda, noting that this is an element of the allied action against Russia.

Steinmeier visited Warsaw on the occasion of the anniversary marking 30 years of bilateral good-neighborly relations treaty between Poland and Germany.

The implementation of the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 project is also expected to be discussed during Steinmeier’s visit to Poland.

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