Obama says Polish democracy helped inspire Ukrainians
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
21.09.2016 14:28
US President Barack Obama has said Poland helped inspire Ukrainians to demand change because it showed what more liberal and democratic countries could achieve.
Barack Obama addresses the General Debate of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Photo: EPA/JASON SZENES
Obama was speaking to an annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, his last such address as president.
He argued in favour of strong democratic institutions.
“In Europe, the progress of those countries in the former Soviet bloc that embraced democracy stand in clear contrast to those that did not,” Obama said.
“After all, the people of Ukraine did not take to the streets because of some plot imposed from abroad. They took to the streets because their leadership was for sale and they had no recourse.
“They demanded change because they saw life get better for people in the Baltics and in Poland, societies that were more liberal, and democratic, and open than their own.”
(pk)