During his official visit to the Republic of Poland, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, met with the mayors of the Polish cities that were awarded the "Rescuer City" honorary awards of Ukraine.
The Head of State thanked mayor of Rzeszów Konrad Fiołek, mayor of Przemyśl Wojciech Bakun, mayor of Lublin Krzysztof Žuk, mayor of Chełm Jakub Banaszek for the unprecedented support provided to Ukrainians in the most difficult period, when millions of our citizens were forced to seek salvation from the war.
"There are extraordinary heads of cities who are here now with their teams. They showed that there are no borders between our countries. You are the extraordinary people who, together with rescuers and volunteers, were the first to receive our people who were fleeing from the Russian occupier, who were saving their children," said the President.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the extraordinary scale of aid provided to Ukraine by Polish border cities. This includes, in particular, the arrangement of hundreds of reception points for Ukrainians, the creation of hubs and logistics centers for the collection and transfer of humanitarian goods to Ukraine.
"You had your own front here - the front of humanitarian aid. And while our heroic soldiers defended our independence on the frontline, you sheltered children and families in need. I want to thank you for this help and understanding," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President noted that the solidarity and support of Polish society helped Ukraine resist Russia's aggression. The Head of State expects that Poland will become a key partner in the restoration of Ukraine, and local authorities and businesses will actively participate in this process.
For his part, the Prime Minister of Poland noted that bordering Polish cities received a large number of Ukrainians fleeing the war. According to him, the Poles wholeheartedly provided the necessary assistance to the citizens of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the mayors of Rzeszów, Przemyśl, Lublin, and Chełm with the "Rescuer City" honorary awards, which their cities received for humanism, mercy and solidarity with the Ukrainian people, comprehensive assistance to citizens of Ukraine who were forced to leave their homeland as a result of Russian aggression, as well as strong support of Ukraine in defense of its independence and sovereignty.
The Head of State also presented the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the V degree to the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Przemyśl Oleksandr Bachyk, who was awarded for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and a significant contribution to the promotion of the Ukrainian state in the world.
