Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated that Warsaw and Kyiv must maintain a constructive dialogue despite sharp historical disagreements. According to the head of state, the unifying factor for both countries is the presence of a common adversary — the Russian Federation. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine citing Radio Liberty.
Personal meeting and a "polite conversation"
On the eve of July 7, the leaders of the two countries held talks. Nawrocki characterized them as a "polite conversation" and did not rule out the possibility of a new meeting as early as July 8. Ukrainian presidential advisor Dmytro Litvin confirmed the fact of communication between the leaders on the evening of the previous day. According to him, the sides agreed to coordinate schedules to hold another meeting in the near future.
"It seems quite natural to me that neighboring states, having a common enemy — the Russian Federation — maintain dialogue, regardless of certain bilateral contradictions," noted the Polish leader.
Historical disputes and the price of compromise
Nawrocki emphasized that the current war of Ukraine with Russia and the centuries-old conflicts of Poland with this state are a common starting point for understanding the situation. However, he made a strict reservation regarding historical memory. The President of Poland stated that his position on historical issues remains unchanged: Warsaw and Europe cannot tolerate the honoring of UPA fighters.
In Poland, these formations are considered responsible for the death of 120,000 ethnic Poles. Nevertheless, Nawrocki acknowledged that the existence of such disagreements should not exclude diplomatic dialogue.
Escalation against the backdrop of Zelenskyy's Decree
Relations between the countries intensified after Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree granting one of the Ukrainian units the honorary name "named after the Heroes of the UPA." The Office of the Polish President also reacted negatively to Kyiv's initiative to create a National Pantheon, stating that the bill has an "escalatory nature".
The situation is exacerbated by the position of Polish security officials. The Head of the Ministry of Defense of Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, directly stated that Warsaw would not agree to support Ukraine's accession to the EU if Ukrainian authorities continue to honor certain historical figures that are controversial in Poland.
