Reichardt, however, believes there are certainly domestic political calculations on the Ukrainian side as well. He says it is impossible that Zelenskyy and his team did not understand what the use of the UPA name means in Poland.

“According to Polish media, Poland has tried behind the scenes to calm the situation, but Ukraine apparently rejected those efforts,” the journalist said. “If those reports are accurate, the question arises as to why the Ukrainian side was unwilling to reconsider a decision that was, in the end, largely symbolic.”

Bednarczyk sees the decision to grant the special operations center the UPA title more as a human mistake.

“Ukrainians have their heroes, whose pasts are colorful or complicated and include brutal acts. These heroes are surrounded by myths that inspire them in the fight against today’s Moscow. In that sense, it is understandable that people going to the front need heroes. I think they do not understand what sensitive points this touches for Poles,” said the head of the GMF’s Warsaw office.

A Source Familiar With Poland’s Planning: Estonia Would Be Better Off Holding the Ukraine Conference in July

Talk in Tallinn that Estonia, chosen to host next year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference, is considering moving the summer event forward by half a year to January has also reached Warsaw.

Philip Bednarczyk believes Estonia itself would benefit more if the event were held in July.

“That is funny. In Poland, the organizers had difficulties because they did not have enough time to prepare, since the decision was made and the city was chosen late,” Bednarczyk said, noting that Ukraine confirmed on September 29, 2025, that the conference would take place in Poland, while the decision to hold it in Gdańsk was made in early November.

The head of the German Marshall Fund’s Warsaw office recalled a meeting with Estonians a couple of weeks ago, during which they spoke about taking their time, preparing thoroughly for the conference they would host, and doing everything properly.

“And then suddenly they start moving the date forward,” he said in surprise.

Bednarczyk noted that once this year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk ends, the height of summer will begin. “As we all know, nothing happens in August, and then there are three months left to organize a very large event,” he warned.

“From the point of view of both Estonia and the organizers of the event, it seems somewhat wiser to hold the conference in July,” Bednarczyk recommended. He himself once lived in Tallinn as an intern at the U.S. Embassy and is convinced that someone visiting Estonia for the first time would be better off seeing it in July than in January, when ice may fall from the roofs.

Two weeks ago, when Postimees sent the organizers of the Tallinn conference the questions, “1. Why does Estonia want to hold the event in January, when it has otherwise been held in summer? 2. When might the specific date of the conference be set?”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied as follows:

“Preparations for the 2027 Ukraine Recovery Conference are under way, and the exact date, venue and focus topics of the conference are still being specified; we cannot yet confirm a concrete timeframe. We are working closely with countries that have organized the conference in previous years in order to learn from their experience and gather best practices for the successful organization of the conference. At the end of June, the 2026 Recovery Conference will take place in Gdańsk, Poland. Traditionally, at the end of the conference the previous organizer passes the baton to the next one, after which work begins on specific organizational details.

Ukraine’s reconstruction will become one of the most important strategic economic projects in Europe in the coming decades. For the Estonian state and our entrepreneurs, it is extremely important to be involved in this process. Since the start of the full-scale war, Estonia has allocated more than €42 million for Ukraine’s recovery, and an additional €11 million is planned for this year.”