WARSAW: The Ukrainian and Polish presidents met in Warsaw on Friday to underline their countries’ unity in the face of Russia. They also signaled progress on historical reconciliation, which had caused tension in bilateral relations in the past.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was welcomed by his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, at the Presidential Palace for a visit intended to ensure that relations with key ally Poland remain stable, regardless of any change in power in Warsaw.
Poland’s liberal government is a solid backer of Ukraine, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk acting as one of the most visceral advocates of Kyiv in international fora. But presidential election results this year indicate that the previous, nationalist Law and Justice party might return to power in 2027.
Nawrocki, who won elections with the backing of Law and Justice, has been playing hard to get. He has requested that Ukrainians demonstrate gratitude for Polish support since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and insisted that Kyiv should not be allowed to join the European Union unconditionally.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Nawrocki signaled that he was happy with Zelensky’s visit. He said the presence of the Ukrainian president in Warsaw was good news for Warsaw and Kyiv and bad news for Moscow.
“In strategic matters, our strategic cooperation in the field of security issues, Poland, Ukraine, countries of the region, countries filled with democratic values are together and this has never been in doubt,” Nawrocki said.
Nawrocki said Poland supported efforts to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine as well as further sanctions against Russia and action against its shadow fleet. Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to share its expertise on drone defense and welcomed Polish businesses to participate in Ukraine’s reconstruction.
European funds
Zelensky expressed his gratitude for Poland’s support, including for backing a massive interest-free loan from the European Union to Ukraine. European leaders had agreed earlier on Friday to provide 90 billion euros ($106 billion) to meet Kyiv’s military and economic needs for the next two years.
“If Russia drags out this war — and that is exactly the signal the entire world hears from Moscow, as they continue to threaten us — we will use these funds for defense, if the war continues,” Zelensky said in Warsaw.
“If the world compels Russia to make peace, we will use these funds exclusively for the reconstruction of our country.”
The Ukrainian leader also commented on news that Russia had deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to Belarus.
“This poses a threat to many European countries, including Poland, Germany, and others,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine had shared information about the Oreshnik with Western countries.
He said that Ukraine urged its allies to impose sanctions on companies that produce components used in the Oreshnik system but has not seen any results yet.
Historical wounds
The two presidents struck a conciliatory tone on the topic of the exhumation of Polish victims lying in mass graves in the Ukrainian region of Volhynia.
During World War II, Polish-Ukrainian relations in the Nazi-occupied regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia were marked by violent interethnic conflict. Armed formations on both sides, including the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Polish underground forces, were involved in attacks and reprisals that led to large-scale civilian casualties among both Poles and Ukrainians.
The historical tragedy has been a major source of tension between the two countries. Polish authorities estimate tens of thousands of Poles were murdered.
In January, Poland and Ukraine reached an agreement under which Ukraine will allow the exhumation of some Polish victims, which was considered a major breakthrough. Exhumations have already taken place this year in the village of Puzhnyky in Ukraine’s western Ternopil region, uncovering the remains of at least 42 people believed to be victims of the Volhynia massacres, and at Lviv-Zboiska. Further permissions were granted by both sides for exhumations at other locations.
Nawrocki, however, asked for more concessions from Ukraine. Representatives of Ukrainian and Polish institutions dealing with historical memory met on Friday alongside the presidents.
“The Ukrainian side is ready to meet Polish expectations to accelerate work on this matter,” Zelensky said.
“We respect the Polish perspective on the history of our nations. We honor your memory of what happened and expect the same respect for our Ukrainian memory.”