UK premier meets with Polish president at Downing Street

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed on Thursday Polish President Andrzej Duda to Downing Street to discuss joint cooperation in accelerating defensive support to Poland.

A Downing Street statement said both leaders shared their "horror at the massacre by Russia forces in Bucha" and agreed that the West needed to accelerate its support to Ukraine in the coming days.

“The Prime Minister thanked the Polish leader for Poland’s kindness and generosity to Ukrainian refugees, and told President Duda that the UK would be tripling its humanitarian support to Poland, providing £30 million ($39 million) to help ensure vital supplies reached those fleeing Ukraine,” the statement added.

Johnson updated Duda on Britain’s plans to wean itself off Russian oil and gas and welcomed Poland’s ambition to do the same.

He also reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to a new security and defense partnership with Poland and said he looked forward to launching it formally in the coming months.

For his part, Duda spoke about the massacre in Bucha, saying: "The pictures of that massacre recall the worst pictures that we know from the Second World War."

On Britain’s support, Duda told Johnson: "Thank you for supporting Polish people, and this is something that I would like to express my gratitude for, thank you because in this way we are able to better help our Ukrainian guests, our brothers, who are coming to Poland as a result of war.”