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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife are making a rare state visit to Poland following the country leading a NATO campaign to defend Ukraine.
The trip is a rare foray for Mr Zelensky out of Ukraine since Russia unleashed the war in February 2022 and is meant as a gesture of thanks to Poland for supporting Ukraine’s defence.
While it follows visits to the United States, Britain, France and Belgium, it stands out from the others because it was announced in advance without the secrecy of past visits.
It is also unusual that the president is joined by the first lady, Olena Zelenska.
Marcin Przydacz, the head of Polish president Andrzej Duda’s foreign policy office, described it as Mr Zelensky’s first visit of this kind since the war began.
The visit shines a light on Poland’s rising international role in a new security order that is emerging after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Poland, a member of NATO and the European Union, is modernising its military with orders of tanks and other equipment from US and South Korean producers, while the United States has beefed up its military presence in Poland.
Warsaw has been a key ally for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion last year, also becoming a hub for humanitarian aid and weapons to move into Ukraine.
