Foreign leaders send Poland Independence Day wishes, Ukraine's foreign minister among them

Greetings from Ukraine and the Baltic states

Ukraine's foreign minister Andrij Sybiha was among the first to publish good wishes for Poland's National Independence Day, writing on X that he hoped Poland would always remain free and strong. Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius addressed his greetings to Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki, and he praised the courage of the Polish nation as a guarantor of freedom and security. His foreign minister, Kęstutis Budrys, pointed to centuries of shared history and a strategic partnership between the two countries. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics wrote that he wished for a free and independent Poland. Lithuania's messages were directed at Poland's leaders as well as at all Poles. Estonia's foreign ministry also marked the holiday.

Institutions, NATO and the Gulf

Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, posted warm greetings on X. The Council of Europe said the white-and-red flag reflects Poland's history and identity. The US mission to NATO used its profile to praise Polish defence spending, stating that Poland sets an example for other NATO members by making decisive investments in defence. The foreign ministries of Estonia, Turkey, Pakistan and Azerbaijan also published greetings. The President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, congratulated Karol Nawrocki on the holiday.

A Ukrainian call for a shared European agenda

In a column published in Rzeczpospolita on 11 November, Sybiha wrote that the Ukrainian-Polish alliance would shape a new economic and security order in Europe. He described it as a new European driving force and argued that Poland must be present at every key forum where the fate of Europe is decided. Marking the 108th anniversary of independence, he recalled that three empires once divided Polish lands, yet none of them broke the will of Poles. Writing as the minister of a country resisting Russian aggression, Sybiha said the war had shown which partnerships are genuine, and he named Poland first among them. Budrys made a similar point, stressing the Polish-Lithuanian strategic partnership in view of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the need to strengthen NATO's eastern flank.

Context of the holiday

Poland marked 11 November as its National Independence Day, commemorating the regaining of sovereignty in 1918. The 108th anniversary fell on 11 November 2026. The Independence March in Warsaw is the holiday's largest event. Greetings from abroad were posted online on the day itself, reaching Poles alongside the domestic celebrations.