WISLA, Poland (AFP)--Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko arrived in Poland Wednesday for talks with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski, a staunch ally of Kiev in its gas row with Russia.
Warsaw's liberal government has refused to formally blame either side in the dispute between gas producer Russia and transit country Ukraine, a battle that has left many European consumers without supplies amid bitter winter weather.
The conservative Kaczynski, in contrast, has been a vocal supporter of Kiev against Moscow, in line with his longstanding backing for former Soviet Ukraine's drive to cement ties with the West.
"This meeting was organized at the request of the Ukrainian side," said Kaczynski's aide Michal Kaminski.
"Poland must ensure there is continuity in its policy of strategic partnership with Ukraine. It is in Poland's interests that Ukraine moves as close as possible to the West and doesn't remain under the influence of the Kremlin," Kaminski said on the Polish rolling news channel TVN24.
Kaczynski was hosting Yushchenko at his residence in Wisla, in the mountains of southern Poland.
The day-long discussions would focus on the gas dispute and other issues including Kiev's attempts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and strengthen links with the European Union, his office said.
Ex-communist Poland joined NATO in 1999 and the E.U. five years later.
Poland has been relatively untouched by the gas supply crisis, which has hit other central and southern European countries badly.
Deliveries of Russian natural gas to Poland dropped to 84% of their contracted volume in the dispute between Russia and Ukraine over gas pricing and payment.
While supplies via Ukraine have been halted, Poland had a buffer thanks to deliveries through a pipeline crossing Belarus.