Zelenski congratulates Poland on Battle of Warsaw anniversary, draws parallel to current war with Russia

Zelenski's message to Poland

On Saturday, 15 August, Ukrainian President Wołodymyr Zelenski posted congratulations on the platform X marking the 106th anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw and Polish Armed Forces Day. He recalled that Ukrainian soldiers helped Polish defenders hold Warsaw in 1920 and halt the Bolshevik advance westward. The Battle of Warsaw, fought in August 1920, ended in a Polish victory over the Red Army and is also known as the "Miracle on the Vistula." It is recognized as the 18th decisive battle in world history, one that preserved Polish independence and stopped the spread of Bolshevism into Europe. Historians note that the victory was not a supernatural miracle but resulted from breaking enemy ciphers, prior knowledge of Bolshevik plans, and a developed strategy to defeat the Bolsheviks.

Zelenski drew a direct line between the historical battle and the current war with Russia.

Today Moscow must lose in the same way.

He stressed that the fates of Ukraine and its neighbors are being decided now, just as Poland's fate was decided in 1920, and that united efforts of nations carry the same weight today.

We remember how much we can achieve by helping each other. We are fighting for freedom.

Ukrainian military and diplomatic congratulations

Earlier on Saturday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine sent congratulations to Poland on Polish Armed Forces Day, thanking Poland for military support, training of Ukrainian soldiers, logistical assistance, and shelter for Ukrainian families. The General Staff wrote that Poland commemorates the victory in the Battle of Warsaw of 1920, when the Polish Army together with units of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic halted the Bolshevik invasion and defended freedom. The statement added that the shared fight against Moscow's imperialism, lasting over a century, continues today on the Ukrainian front.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, Wasyl Bodnar, sent his own message recalling the shared history of both states and the significance of Polish support for Ukraine.

The memory of the victory in the Battle of Warsaw of 1920, of the "Miracle on the Vistula," and of the brotherhood in arms of Polish and Ukrainian soldiers who together stood against Bolshevik aggression, remains an important part of our shared history.

Bodnar added that in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Poland's solidarity and support are especially valued, and he thanked Poland's authorities, the Polish military, and the entire nation for their consistent support.

Commemoration at Zadwórze

Poland's head of embassy in Kyiv, Piotr Łukasiewicz, reported that together with representatives of Polish organizations in Lviv, clergy, scouts, consuls, military attaché officers in Kyiv, and guests from Poland, he honored the memory of Polish soldiers at the village of Zadwórze near Lviv. On 17 August 1920, a unit under Captain Bolesław Zajączkowski fought off attacking Bolshevik forces there, forces that were moving to support their troops during the Battle of Warsaw.

Łukasiewicz said he spoke during the ceremony about service to the homeland and soldiers' sacrifice, and about Ukrainian soldiers who at that same moment were repelling another Kremlin onslaught.

Those heroes and today's heroes are an inspiration to us. Honor to their lives and memory. And both anthems, Polish and Ukrainian, sound beautiful and heroic, and will never fall silent.