Kyiv is already warming up Polish heat. 230 power generators have arrived in the capital of Ukraine
The first batch of 230 power generators, purchased as part of the “Heat from Poland for Kiev” campaign, under which over PLN 7.6 million has already been collected in public collections, arrived in the capital of Ukraine on Monday.
– These are 230 generators, 130 of which we are donating to the city of Kiev, and another 100 will go to the regions of Ukraine, where they will be delivered by Polish volunteers working in this country – said one of the organizers of the collection, the chairwoman of the Stand with Ukraine foundation, Natalia Panchenko, at a press conference in the Kiev mayor's office.
– Our goal is to collect PLN 10 million, so the collection will continue. Thanks to the fact that the scale of the collection exceeded all our expectations, and thanks to the fact that the amazing Polish society responded to it so warmly, today we will be able to help not only Kiev, but also other cities and regions of Ukraine that are in a difficult situation, she assured.
Dominika Kulczyk appeals to business. “Heat became a weapon”
The full-scale war in Ukraine has been going on for almost four years. These are four years of heroic resistance, but also four years of destruction of houses and infrastructure, where winter becomes another weapon of the aggressor. Today, however, help requires not only heart impulses, as at the beginning of the war, but also systemic solutions and solidarity, including business.
The transport with generators was welcomed by the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko. He pointed out that Polish society mobilized in a very short time to help the inhabitants of Ukraine, which was attacked by Russian drones and missiles.
– At a time when Russia has done everything to keep people in Kiev freezing, destroying our critical infrastructure, leaving residents without heat, without water and without electricity, these generators are now extremely needed for the city to get through this period and survive, he said.
– The help of our partners is of great importance. We are very grateful. From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, Poland helped politically, economically, by supplying weapons, and also provides humanitarian aid, Klitschko emphasized.
Klitschko: The next transport will come to us from Warsaw
– We would like to thank every Pole and the entire society. I would also like to say that on the way to the city of Kiev there is also help from our partner city – Warsaw. I talked to the mayor (president) of Warsaw, Mr. (Rafał) Trzaskowski, who assured that the generators are already on their way to Kiev. These are 90 generators, which are also extremely necessary for our city – explained Klitschko.
The “Heat from Poland for Kiev” campaign was organized by several organizations and social movements, including: Euromaidan-Warszawa, Democracy Foundation, Sestry.eu editorial team, Open Dialog Foundation, Polish Business Roundtable Foundation and the Entrepreneurs Help initiative.
Polish business enters the heat game
Polenergia and the Kulczyk Foundation also joined the initiative and donated PLN 500,000. PLN for the purchase of 120 power generators.
– We are proud because we have shown ourselves and Ukraine that in an important matter, when we need to behave decently (…), we are able to stand above divisions, put aside all these flags of one kind or another, quarrels and simply help in a real, concrete way. In my opinion, we are simply becoming cooler, better people over this time, Jerzy Wójcik, co-organizer of the collection from the Sestry.eu website, told PAP.
Bartosz Kramek from the Open Dialog Foundation explained that almost 60,000 people joined the collection during the 11 days of its duration. people.
– I would like to appeal to Polish women and men to treat this as a national challenge and to surpass the Czech collection, which started later. However, the Czechs have already exceeded 10 million (euro). Donate and support Ukraine, these needs are unlimited. It's still very, very cold here. Winter is not over yet and it will not end soon; the needs are unlimited, he appealed.
Ambassador of the Republic of Poland: This is a special week in Polish-Ukrainian relations
The head of the Polish embassy in Kiev, Piotr Łukasiewicz, said in an interview with PAP that he feels proud and “intimidated” by the scale of help our compatriots provide to the inhabitants of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities.
– This is a special week in Polish-Ukrainian relations, because these are not just government relations, military aid, political aid (…), but again people, after four years of war (…) Polish society has shown that it is not indifferent, that it feels solidarity with Kiev and with Ukrainians who are in an extremely difficult situation. We are in Kiev at temperatures of minus 10 degrees, at night it drops to minus 15. We are at risk of a humanitarian catastrophe here, and Poles are contributing to all this with their incredible mobilization, activity, and money, the diplomat noted.
He reminded that further transports are headed to Kiev: from the authorities of Warsaw and support from the Government Agency of Strategic Reserves.
– This aid will also be transported on these days or is already being transported. Government aid, but also that which we collect and transfer to Ukraine through the European Union under multilateral agreements, but also from our own resources, from RARS. So something really special is happening, said Łukasiewicz.
From Kiev Jarosław Junko (PAP)
jjk/ap/
