Ukraine: US top diplomat visits Poland amid refugee crisis | News | DW

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Poland on Saturday, the place he met with the nation’s prime minister and overseas minister in a Polish metropolis close to the Ukrainian border. 

What do we all know to date?

The go to comes as Poland has seen an unprecedented wave of Ukrainian refugees, who’re fleeing their homeland because of Russia’s invasion.

“Poland is doing very important work to answer this disaster… It has achieved an incredible deal to facilitate safety help to Ukraine,” he mentioned at a joint information convention with Polish Overseas Minister Zbigniew Rau within the metropolis of Rzeszow.

“The individuals of Poland understand how essential it’s to defend freedom,” Blinken added.

Rau mentioned Poland was dedicated to welcoming refugees no matter nationality, race and faith: “The assault on Ukraine already reworked Europe and its sense of safety.”

Blinken held a press convention together with Poland’s Overseas Minister Zbigniew Rau (proper)

Russia maintains that it’s only conducting “a particular army operation,” in Ukraine, not an invasion. However its troops are actually threatening Ukraine’s main cities, as its forces have encircled the capital in an try to take it. 

Blinken arrived in Poland from Brussels, the place he was assembly with overseas ministers from the NATO army alliance, the G7 and the EU, to debate efforts to discourage Russia by a system of harsh sanctions.

To this point, NATO members are offering army support to Ukraine, in order that they could stand an opportunity of their battle in opposition to Russia’s imposing army. A big portion of that army support is at present passing by Poland.

However the alliance has declined Ukrainian calls for to implement a no-fly zone over the nation. NATO fears {that a} no-fly zone may provoke a wider and much more harmful battle.

Blinken meets with refugees

The highest diplomat visited a welcome middle within the city of Korczowa, close to the border with Ukraine, which was arrange by Polish authorities to deal with some 3,000 Ukrainian refugees. 

Washington has mentioned it’s making ready to put aside some $2.75 billion (€2.5 billion) for Ukraine’s humanitarian disaster.
 

Anthony Blinken touring a reception middle within the city of Korczowa

Blinken spoke to the refugees and heard a number of the harrowing tales of a deadly journey out of Ukraine from moms and their kids.

A household from Kharkiv advised Blinken that they had traveled some 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) to Poland from the besieged metropolis, the place they mentioned they witnessed capturing on the streets.

One other household that met Blinken mentioned that they had walked for hours escaping Kyiv, the place that they had witnessed the town being bombed.

The UN has mentioned that over 1,000,000 individuals have left Ukraine, with greater than 700,000 at present in Poland.

jcg/wd (AP, Reuters)