Russia mustn't win war against Ukraine says Polish president

The Polish president has said that a Russian's victory in Ukraine will pose a threat to the entire North Atlantic Alliance.

"We must not allow Russia to win the war," President Andrzej Duda said after the Nato summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Stating that Russia's victory would pose a threat to Nato's eastern flank and the entire alliance, Duda said that negotiations were necessary, but "tough measures were needed" in order to bring Russia to order and force that country to observe international law.

According to Duda, "the ceasefire in Ukraine must be accompanied by the withdrawal of Russian troops from the internationally recognised territories of Ukraine."

Duda added that a ceasefire alone was not enough as the Russians would use it as an opportunity to resupply and attack Ukraine again with more brutality and force.

The president told reporters that all the participants in the Nato summit had agreed that it was necessary to support Ukraine.

"We cannot allow a situation in which Vladimir Putin and Russia win this war. Russia must not win this war," Duda said.

Duda expressed satisfaction that Nato had remained united towards Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

"We must do our best with the use of peace tools, which must be enough to stop Russia's aggression against Ukraine," Duda added.

The president also said that the most important task now was to halt the murder of civilians in Ukraine, to stop the bombing of housing estates and lift the siege on Ukrainian cities.

"The world must rise to the challenge and those guilty of war crimes, which are being committed every day in Ukraine, must be brought to justice before the appropriate bodies," Duda said.

President Duda stated that there had been no opposition to Nato increasing its presence on its eastern flank.

"I have suggested an enhanced forward defence presence with additional armed forces and equipment," he said, adding that a debate regarding his proposal would continue.

He also said that he himself and some other presidents suggested that the Enhanced Forward Presence could be transformed into an enhanced forward defence presence. Duda explained that it could be done by means of introducing additional combat units and offering additional equipment to the armed forces of Nato's eastern flank countries.

Duda also said that US President Joe Biden reiterated his support for Article 5 of the alliance's charter, which commits all members to collective defence if any member is attacked.

"There is no other option than the implementation of Article 5 of the alliance's charter if a Nato country is attacked," Duda concluded.