Outgoing Poland’s President Andrzej Duda visited Ukraine on Saturday and urged Kyiv civilians to be patient during the handover to his nationalist successor, Karol Nawrocki.

Polish president-elect Nawrocki has said he is committed to keep helping Ukraine’s defences against Russia’s invasion but has however, signaled a possible shift in Warsaw’s position by opposing Kyiv joining Western alliances such as NATO.

“Please be patient,” Duda told reporters at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

“Theworld looks different from behind the presidential desk, slightly different from what it looks like to a candidate in elections. I am proud that President Zelensky and I acted for the people, not for politics, — Duda “These were unconventional decisions, made without delay, without coordination in ten instances. We did not do big politics, we simply helped people  and they did not even know about it.”

Zelenskiy said he would “of course” invite Nawrocki to Ukraine after he assumes office.

Duda’s visit was a final gesture of solidarity from one of Ukraine’s most vocal wartime supporters as he prepares to hand over the presidency in August.

He was welcomed warmly and awarded an Order of Liberty by Zelenskiy, who is trying to rally support among Kyiv’s allies at a crucial juncture in the grinding war with Russia.

Ukraine is struggling to fend off Russian advances on the battlefield and intensifying missile and drone attacks on its cities as diplomatic efforts to end the fighting, now in its  fourth year, have faltered.

Today, on Constitution Day of Ukraine, I met with a special guest of our state – the President of Poland, @AndrzejDuda.

Andrzej has stood with Ukraine since the first days of the war – always side by side, a reliable ally and a true friend. This is undoubtedly the level of… pic.twitter.com/z3KguJv5Q2

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 28, 2025