Duda says he will ask for mercy for Russian soldiers

During his visit to Kiev in honour of Ukraine's Independence Day, Polish President Andrzej Duda said during his speech with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would ask him not to finish off Russian soldiers who will flee from Ukrainian soil.

He pointed out that the losses of the Russian army are obvious and they will grow when the occupiers are chased from Ukrainian territory. And anyone who does not take this into account is unreasonable.

If the Russian military is finally allowed to return home and they start coming out of Ukraine, if it happens that the Ukrainian army will then attack, I will be the first to call President Zelensky and say, "Don't bomb them, they are leaving." I can promise this to the Russian soldiers," Duda said.

To this, President Zielenski replied that it might be "busy" at the moment of this call.

In Kiev, Duda laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine.

Afterwards, Andrzej Duda spoke at Sofia Square together with President Volodymyr Zielenski and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonīte on the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day.