Neighbourly spirit

The House of Commons rose to applaud Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, when he addressed MPS on Tuesday. His country’s resilience in the face of Russia’s aggression has won the admiration of the free world. But so, too, has the response of neighbouring countries coping with an influx of refugees on a scale not seen since the Second World War. Poland in particular is showing extraordinary generosity. It has taken in more than one million refugees in the space of a fortnight from Ukraine, a majority of the total who have fled that country. Most are being taken in by family, friends or just concerned citizens, as well as guest houses and hotels. Polish officials cleared 270,000 people for entry at border crossings on Sunday.

Poland has announced plans to set up a £1.34 billion fund to finance the most urgent supplies and lodging but also access to the labour market, social benefits and education. The response has been magnificent and in stark contrast to the shambles overseen by the Home Office for Ukrainians trying to join relatives in this country. Clearly, everyone hopes that the conflict will end soon but the Poles (as well as Hungary and Moldova) may well need to offer shelter and assistance for months, even years, if towns and cities are destroyed by the fighting. Poland has also offered to send MIG jet fighters to Ukraine but the proposal has been blocked by America for fear it would lead to a wider European war.

But it is a reminder that Poland, and Ukraine for that matter, have been invaded and occupied many times over the centuries. Sitting as they do on the European crossroads between potentially warring countries, history is never far away.