A brief exchange on NATO sidelines hinted at a possible follow up meeting, testing whether dialogue can bridge deep historical tensions while maintaining regional security.
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, the President of Poland Karol Nawrocki said that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and does not rule out the possibility of a new meeting during the event. Such words were spoken before the start of the summit’s public sessions.
Yesterday we had a polite conversation with President Zelensky, and we can repeat this conversation today.
– Karol Nawrocki
According to him, despite historical differences between Kyiv and Warsaw, both countries should maintain dialogue as a tool for joint security and regional stability.
It seems entirely natural that neighboring states with a common enemy – the Russian Federation – support dialogue regardless of certain bilateral disagreements
– Karol Nawrocki
In the context of the current war in Ukraine and the long history of relations between the countries, Nawrocki stressed that the shared experience of conflicts with Russia can serve as a basis for further dialogue between Poland and Ukraine.
Moreover, Nawrocki confirmed that his position on historical issues has not changed, remaining an important component of the country’s diplomatic approach.
Poland, and, as I believe, all of Europe, cannot tolerate honoring UPA soldiers, whom in Poland are considered responsible for the deaths of 120,000 Poles. However, this does not exclude our dialogue. This is a natural thing in diplomacy
– Karol Nawrocki
A representative of the President’s Office, Dmytro Lytvyn, confirmed that yesterday evening the presidents spoke: the conversation was not long, but the parties agreed to try to coordinate the schedules of a possible meeting; the dialogue itself took place against a backdrop of tension over historical issues.
Along with this, in June Nawrocki announced the decision to deprive Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle due to a decree naming a unit of the Armed Forces in honor of “the Heroes of the UPA.” According to him, for the majority of Polish society the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains responsible for the deaths of a large number of Polish citizens during World War II, which serves as a starting point for diplomatic dialogue.
On June 20 Zelensky received the order by Nova Poshta and stated that Ukraine is grateful to Poland for its support and willingness to continue cooperation. Also, former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko declined the order.
Going forward, both sides are committed to constructive dialogue and active cooperation through existing diplomatic channels, taking into account historical topics and security challenges in the region.