Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Kyiv and Warsaw must jointly counter attempts by the Russian leadership to undermine trust and cooperation between the two nations. The diplomat made this statement in comments referenced by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita. According to him, Moscow aims to devalue the experience of the first months after the start of the full-scale war, sow distrust between Kyiv and Warsaw, and impose the narrative that mutual trust was a mistake and solidarity was meaningless.
'Putin's Plan': an attempt to devalue solidarity
Sybiha is convinced that Ukraine and Poland possess "sufficient wisdom" to recognize this design, as well as mutual respect to prevent its realization. "Our nations themselves will decide the content, level, and tone of mutual relations. We will not give this right to the enemy," the minister emphasized. Thus, he drew a line, asserting that any attempts from outside to dictate the nature of bilateral relations are rejected as interference in the sovereign right of nations.
Democratic discussions and the limits of the acceptable
Separately, Sybiha noted that intense political discussions are an integral part of life in any democratic country. At the same time, he said, it is crucial that anti-Ukrainian rhetoric does not become a tool for internal political struggle. "It is precisely on such splits that Moscow is counting. We want Ukraine to unite, not be a divisive topic, in all European countries," declared the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, effectively calling on European politicians not to use the issue of Ukraine in electoral and party disputes.
The Volhynian tragedy — a 'painful page' of shared history
In the same statement, Sybiha acknowledged that the Volhynian tragedy remains a painful page of the shared history between Ukraine and Poland. "We hear the voice of the Poles, who are waiting for an objective look at the events of those years, worthy commemoration of the victims, and burial of their loved ones. In Ukraine, we also remember the Ukrainians who died or became victims of forced relocations during the same period," the minister wrote. Thus, Kyiv confirmed its readiness to conduct an open dialogue on this topic, while simultaneously pointing to the symmetric nature of losses on both sides.
Context: Russian agents and incidents around Polish infrastructure
Sybiha's statements came against the backdrop of several reports about Russian activity in Poland. It was recently revealed that Russian agents in the country were posing as Ukrainian military personnel. Additionally, in the Polish city of Świdnica, a Russian national was detained for photographing trains and railway infrastructure. These episodes, according to Kyiv, further confirm the need for security coordination between Warsaw and Kyiv.
Taken together, the position of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry boils down to two conclusions: political disagreements between Kyiv and Warsaw must remain within the democratic sphere and not be served by Russian propaganda, while issues of security and memory should be resolved through direct dialogue rather than outside pressure.
