Tusk urges Zelenskyy and Nawrocki to hold direct dialogue: before emotions destroy solidarity
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has appealed to the presidents of Ukraine and Poland to hold a frank conversation amid a dispute over a Ukrainian military unit being named after heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA).
Censor.NET reports this, citing Tusk’s post on X.
Tusk noted that previous diplomatic efforts had failed to produce results.
"I publicly appeal to Presidents Karol Nawrocki and Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a request for a direct and frank conversation. Before emotions destroy our solidarity, which was born in the face of the Russian threat," the post reads.
According to the head of the Polish government, cooperation between the two countries is in the interests of both Ukraine and Poland.
Tusk warns Moscow would benefit from conflict
The Polish prime minister stressed that any deterioration in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw could benefit Russia.
"Cooperation is in the interests of both our states and peoples, while conflict is in Moscow’s interests. I think this is obvious to us all," Tusk said.
His appeal came amid debates in Poland over a possible review of the decision to award Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Poland’s highest state honor and disputes surrounding historical memory.
Background
- The escalation in Ukrainian-Polish relations broke out after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on May 26 granting the Separate Special Operations Center "North" of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine's Armed Forces the honorary title "named after the Heroes of the UIA." The text of the document stated that the decision was made to "restore the historical traditions of the national army."
- Former Polish President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa demonstratively removed a badge with the Ukrainian flag, which he had constantly worn, in protest and accused Zelenskyy of "honoring UIA bandits," which, he said, "insulted him personally and all murdered Poles."
- Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki officially returned the Order of Merit awarded to him by Zelenskyy in 2022 over the same decision.
- Head of the International Policy Bureau at the Polish president's office, Marcin Przydacz, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy should personally call his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki and formally apologize for giving the SOF unit the name "Heroes of the UIA."
- The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that for the Ukrainian military, "the UPA's struggle symbolizes resistance to Moscow's imperial policy and is in no way directed against Poles."
