Polish PM Tusk:
Gdańsk was almost completely destroyed in its historic center. It was here that the greatest tragedy of modern Europe and the world—World War II—began, with all its tragic consequences. Just a few hundred meters from here, the first shots of World War II were fired.
Those of you who had the opportunity to walk through Gdańsk yesterday, and those who will join me today, can see what the miracle of reconstruction truly means.
I invited you, and our Ukrainian friends, to this place because it shows that the miracle of rebuilding happens when people truly desire it, when they are able to win peace, and when they are determined to do good.
Gdańsk rose from the ruins and became one of the world's finest examples of reconstruction—not only architecturally, but spiritually as well. The spirit of the city was restored. A similar great effort now awaits Ukraine.
All of us here—and all of Poland, Ukraine, and Europe—believe that Ukraine will withstand Russian aggression, and that our plans to rebuild Ukraine are not an illusion.
When we say, "Together we will rebuild Ukraine's destroyed cities after the war," we say it because we believe there will be a post-war future, that it will come soon, and that it is possible thanks to our solidarity.