Polish, Czech, and Slovenian Prime Ministers Make Surprise Visit to Kyiv... "Support for Ukraine's Independence"

Emphasizing EU Support Against Russian Invasion... "Where Freedom Fights"
EU Countries Hold Negative Stance...Official Envoy Not Recognized

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The leaders of Poland, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, which is under invasion by Russia. While the three leaders emphasized the European Union's (EU) support for Ukraine, it is reported that most EU countries view the visit negatively.

According to the Associated Press on the 15th (local time), Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jan?a visited Kyiv. The leaders stated that they arrived in Kyiv by train after a 7-hour journey from the Polish border. Amid ongoing Russian bombings, the leaders reportedly made the surprise visit to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Prime Minister Morawiecki tweeted, "Here, in Kyiv, trampled by war, history is being made. This is where freedom fights against a world of oppression." He emphasized, "We visited Kyiv in the capacity of the EU Council, and the EU supports Ukraine."

Prime Minister Fiala also posted on Twitter, "The purpose of this visit is to reaffirm the EU's clear support for Ukraine's sovereignty and independence," adding, "We will also present broad support measures for Ukraine and its people."

Prime Minister Jan?a stated, "We want to send the message that Ukraine is a European country," emphasizing, "All roads of Ukraine are our roads. This will soon also be the road of the EU."

The three countries are Eastern European nations that are members of both the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), bordering Russia, and have long advocated for active support of Ukraine within the EU. However, other EU countries reportedly view this visit negatively, fearing it could provoke Russia.

The New York Times (NYT), citing EU officials, reported, "The majority of EU member states oppose the actions of these leaders and are concerned that they may make promises that are difficult to fulfill," adding, "They were not recognized as official EU envoys."

Within the EU, as the Ukraine war enters its third week, there are growing concerns about the increasing burden of refugee acceptance and support. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, announced that the number of refugees fleeing Ukraine has surpassed 3 million. Of these, approximately half, about 1.4 million, are child refugees. IOM stated that this is the largest refugee scale in Europe since World War II.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.