Topline
The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will meet their Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday, while western military aid continues to stream into Ukraine as it prepares to defend its eastern region of Donbas against the invading Russian army.
Polish President Andrzej Duda meets with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (not seen) at the PM’s … [+]
Key Facts
Separate posts made by the four leaders on Twitter showed Poland’s Andrzej Duda, Lithuania’s Gitanas Nausėda, Estonia’s Alar Karis and Latvia’s Egils Levits boarding a Ukrainian train to Kyiv.
Karis said the intent of the visit was to show “strong support to the Ukrainian people” while Nausėda added that they were heading to Kyiv with a “message of political support and military assistance.”
The visit comes at a time when the Ukrainian military is preparing to confront Russian forces which have now concentrated themselves around the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
According to the Associated Press, Western military aid continues to flow into Ukraine and, despite making threats, the Russian military has failed to sever these supply lines.
Poland’s Duda has allowed his country to become a staging ground for weapons delivery into Ukraine and it also operates a large number of Soviet-made weapons that the Ukrainian forces are trained to operate.
Tangent
Washington is preparing to send more weapons to Ukraine as part of a military aid package worth $750 million, Reuters and the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The package will purportedly include heavy weapons systems such as howitzer artillery, coastal defense drones and suits that protect against biological, chemical or nuclear attacks. Earlier this month, Ukraine received deliveries of modernized versions of the Soviet era T-72 tanks—operated by both sides in Ukraine. The U.S. and its NATO allies are also reportedly aiding the transfer of more such tanks that the Ukrainian forces have experience in using. Poland recently signed a deal to purchase American-made Abrams tanks for its army, which could allow it to hand over its large numbers of T-72s to the Ukrainians.
Key Background
Wednesday’s visit to Kyiv by the four leaders comes on the back of several high profile visits by other world leaders including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Council President Ursula von der Leyen. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was also considering a visit to the Ukrainian capital but canceled plans noting that his presence “wasn’t wanted,” likely owing to his previous warm ties with the Russian leadership. The Prime Ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia previously visited Kyiv back in March, under much more perilous circumstances, with Russian forces just miles from the city.
Further Reading
German President Says Ukraine Didn’t Want Him To Visit Kyiv (Forbes)
U.S. Reportedly Planning Another $750 Million In Military Aid To Ukraine (Forbes)
Biden Accuses Russia Of Committing ‘Genocide’ In Ukraine For First Time (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/04/13/eastern-european-presidents-travel-to-kyiv-as-support-continues-to-flow-in-for-ukraine/