Kielce Security Conference – Opening speeches by Deputy Ministers of Defence of Poland and Ukraine

During the opening Robert Kupiecki, Polish Deputy Minister of Defence stated that:

The illusion that the danger is far away from us and that war in Europe is a thing of the past, that the borders in Europe are inviolable, is a thing of the past.

In his opinion the Ukrainian events confirm that Poland was right in its assessment of the Russian political intentions. Other countries did not share that point of view, but today a question arises, regarding the limits of hypocrisy and scope of help, which is to be offered to the victims of the Russian aggression.

Robert Kupiecki said that it is true that there is no good military solution to the Ukrainian crisis,  nevertheless the future political means require that the Ukrainians are not humiliated and left alone by their Western allies.

The second speech was made by Oleksandr Lishchinskiy, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine. He stated that Russia is currently being a source of international terrorism, since the forces supported by Russia are destroying the Ukraine's infrastructure within the scope of roads and energy production, they place landmines within the occupation areas and destroy water intakes. Chaotic activities carried out by the Russians may lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Hence, as Lishchinskiy said:

So called People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk shall be considered as terrorist organizations.