Polish President Andrzej Duda reiterated the need to restore Ukraine's internationally recognized borders and preserve sanctions against Russia until the occupation ends.

"I reaffirm that Poland stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine as concerns Ukraine's borders, and these must be internationally-recognized borders again. This means that Ukraine should both regain control over the parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and regain control over Crimea. I would like to stress clearly: the issue of Crimea is also very important here," he said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday.

Duda said that Poland shares the conviction that Crimea is currently occupied, and it has said this not only in Kyiv and Warsaw, but also at international forums.

"The sanctions that have been imposed in the wake of Russia's aggression are absolutely natural to us, and we believe that the sanctions policy must continue resolutely until the occupation is ended, and we will regularly address the EU states and other international communities on this. The situation is clear to us here: any amendment of borders following the Second World War, despite nations and their right to self-determination, is unacceptable, the international community can never agree to this, and I hope it will not agree to this," Duda said.

Poland will hold the chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2022 and will support Ukraine in this organization, he said.

"I can assure you, Mr. President, that Ukrainian issues, the issues of Ukraine's sovereignty and Ukraine's borders, will be on the agenda there; we will remember this, and Ukraine can count on Poland's support," Duda said.