Everywhere in Warsaw hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian women and children appear on the streets. Ruti knew they were making a huge draw from the Polish budget, as she shook hands with a mother of two from Ukraine. Housing, education, health care, and financial support for this huge set of priorities. “I hope you can settle down and return to Ukraine later,” the prime minister said, folding his hands. “Let’s pray for her.”

Rutte shakes hands with a Ukrainian refugee.

Ⓒ ANP / HH

Years of wrangling with Poland over the rule of law and blocking billions from Europe’s “Corona Recovery Fund” were not central this time around. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki did not want to use the extra residents as a political change: “We won’t mix things up.”

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50000 people to Holland

Roth, who also visited a shelter in Warsaw, noted that the Dutch housing for Ukrainians “will double to fifty thousand people.” But in Poland, the need is much greater: “The humanitarian catastrophe has arrived here,” Morawiecki said dryly.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski visit the Refugee Reception Centre.

Ⓒ ANP / HH

“I am very impressed with Polish society,” Ruti said later at the gym in Arena Orsino, where camp beds for three hundred displaced people were meticulously arranged. Scouts and volunteers in the Yellow Vests helped.

Children with psychological trauma

“Many children come from war traumatized,” Liberal Mayor Rafael Trzaskowski told Ruti. The Polish prime minister said these are “different refugees” than they were in 2015, when most Syrian asylum seekers came to Europe. “These are mainly women and children.” Moraviki wants the EU to “close all ports to Russian ships” and “independence from gas and oil in Moscow”.

Rutte argued with him in favor of accurate documentation of all war crimes. He spoke with President Zelensky from Kyiv, who will address the House of Representatives. And while the VVD leader held talks with Turkey’s president, a NATO ally, on Tuesday, he also dealt with military affairs on Monday.

During his visit to Lithuania, he took a picture with the soldiers: “It is dangerous now,” he told the soldiers of the Limburgs Geiger. “Five years ago it was still theoretical.” The camp was ten kilometers from Belarus, which supports the Kremlin in the bloody war. “This is the front door to the NATO area,” Rutte said.

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