Polish Sejm Speaker Arrives in Kyiv for First Official Visit

Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the speaker of Poland’s Sejm – Poland’s primary legislative body – arrived in Kyiv on Monday, Feb. 23, marking his first official visit to the Ukrainian capital.

Czarzasty’s Ukrainian counterpart, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, welcomed him to the city, describing the trip as a symbolic step toward strengthening Ukrainian-Polish dialogue.

According to Polish outlet RMF24, Czarzasty’s arrival marked the beginning of a two-day visit linked to the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to address the Verkhovna Rada “on behalf of the Polish people.”

“There is no free Poland without a free Ukraine,” Czarzasty said, according to RMF24 – adding that his speech would focus on support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, its European future, and continued pressure on Russia.

The Polish speaker is due to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside Stefanchuk and Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, during his visit.

Czarzasty said Poland serves as a major logistics hub for military assistance to Ukraine and argued that Warsaw should also play a significant role in the country’s postwar reconstruction.

He also reiterated Poland’s support for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, while noting that historical issues – including the exhumation of victims of the Volyn tragedy – remain important in bilateral relations.

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Members of the Polish parliamentary delegation accompanying Czarzasty include Paweł Kowal, head of the Sejm’s foreign affairs committee, and Deputy Speaker Monika Wielichowska.

Czarzasty has served as speaker of the Sejm since November 2025. On Feb. 5, he became the focus of a diplomatic row with US ambassador to Warsaw Thomas Rose – who accused him of “insulting” US President Donald Trump and said he would have no further dealings with him as a result.

Czarzasty had previously criticized Trump’s comments doubting whether Washington’s NATO allies would come to the US’s aid and minimizing their role in its war in Afghanistan – saying that “Poles demand respect” for their soldiers.

Then, on Feb. 2, Czarzasty declined to sign a letter from his US and Israeli counterparts seeking support for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Trump. 

“I will not support the Nobel nomination for President Trump because he does not deserve it,” he responded.