"The struggle against Russian aggression is a battle for our freedom, but also for yours. This is the common history of great nations," Zelensky said.
Leszek Szymański/PAP

Ukraine, in its battle against Russia, is not only fighting for its own freedom but also for Poland’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, told a special assembly of both houses of the Polish parliament.

Before addressing the National Assembly, called to mark 23 years of Poland’s membership in Nato, Zelensky received a standing ovation.

The Ukrainian president thanked Poland for its aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, and said Ukraine’s staunch opposition to Russia also served to secure Poland’s freedom.

“The struggle against Russian aggression is a battle for our freedom, but also for yours. This is the common history of great nations,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky especially thanked Poland for its recent efforts to secure a no-fly ruling over Ukraine.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the current war between the two countries burdened Ukraine and Poland with a “historical mission” to protect Europe from the threats the conflict embodied, he said.

“Poland and Ukraine have the historical mission to lead Europe away from the brink of disaster,” Zelensky said. He added that Ukrainians and Poles together numbered 90 million and “could do anything.”

The president also called Poland “a true leader in the struggle for a united Europe and our common security.”