Polish president warns US envoy of Russian provocations in region's politics

WARSAW

Poland faces Russian provocations on multiple levels, Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters after his meeting with Gen. Keith Kellogg, special envoy of the US president on Ukraine and Russia, at the presidential palace in Warsaw Tuesday.

“We had a long conversation about the security situation in our part of Europe, with particular emphasis on the discussion on the situation in Ukraine and how the situation in Ukraine currently looks,” said Duda. “I also spoke about the issue of incidents provoked by Russia in our skies. We know that NATO planes that guard our skies are constantly being targetted. I told the general how we perceive Russian behavior and statements by Russian representatives,” he said.

While the US and Russian officials met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Kellogg continues separate meetings in Europe. His first was in Brussels, with European Council President Antonio Costa and the leader of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky said he would not agree to a ceasefire if talks on this matter are held without Ukraine's participation. Kellogg said before the meeting in Warsaw that no one will impose a ceasefire with Russia on Kyiv.

Duda also sought to calm Polish nerves, telling reporters: “I want to reassure my compatriots, because I see that there is a lot of anxiety in the public sphere. It may be that the leaders of some European countries are full of concerns about the future and interests. I will say this: America has entered the game very strongly when it comes to ending the war in Ukraine. I know President Donald Trump and I know that when he acts, he acts in a very decisive manner,” he said.

Earlier, during the Munich Security Conference, the head of Polish diplomacy Radoslaw Sikorski met the American general. “The American administration communicates important things to us, but we should be able to separate what is noise from what is a clear signal. The hard signal that we receive from this conference is that - as President Zelensky said, from the depths of his country's war tragedy - Europe must take its security seriously,” Sikorski said.

After the end of his visit to Poland, Gen. Kellogg will go to Ukraine. Zelenskyy announced that the American envoy's trip will begin on Feb. 20.