Decision on Zelenskyy’s participation in conference in Gdańsk has not yet been made, - Lytvyn
The question of whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will participate in the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference (URC2026), scheduled for June 25–26 in Gdańsk, Poland, is currently under discussion.
This was stated by the president’s communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, according to Censor.NET, citing "Interfax-Ukraine".
Will Zelenskyy go to the conference?
When asked by journalists on Monday whether a decision had already been made regarding the Ukrainian president’s visit to the conference, Lytvyn replied, "It’s still under review."
Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that Zelenskyy would announce his decision on whether or not to attend the conference on Monday, June 22.
He added that many international partners have expressed solidarity with Ukraine’s position and condemned the actions of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who stripped the Ukrainian people—represented by the President of Ukraine—of the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
What preceded it?
Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country’s highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle, amid a scandal over the naming of an elite unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces after the Heroes of the UPA.
In response, a number of Ukrainian officials issued statements:
- Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha declined the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order "For Merit to Poland" in response to Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle;
- The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, has declined the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland;
- Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, also announced that he was returning his Polish award following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stripping of the Order of the White Eagle.
- On 20 June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent the Order of the White Eagle to Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
- The second President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, the third President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, and the fifth President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, also announced that they were declining the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
