Tusk commented on Zelenskyy's visit to Gdańsk
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has made it clear that he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which will take place on June 25–26 in Gdańsk.
Despite talk of tensions in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw, the Polish government has received no indication that the Ukrainian side might decline to participate in the event.
During a press conference in Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that he expects to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the International Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine (Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026), which will take place in late June in Gdańsk.
According to Tusk, Zelenskyy is one of the co-organizers of this large-scale international event, so the Polish side does not currently require separate confirmation of his participation. “So I’m not waiting for any confirmation here. We will, of course, welcome everyone who comes to Gdańsk: companies, businesses. This is in the interests of both Ukraine and Poland,” said the head of the Polish government.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference is considered one of the main international platforms for discussing Ukraine’s post-war recovery. The forum traditionally brings together representatives of governments, international organizations, financial institutions, investors, and major businesses. In Gdańsk, the plan is to discuss not only the reconstruction of destroyed cities and villages, but also long-term investments, infrastructure development, energy, transportation, and industry.
Tusk emphasized that this event is of particular importance to Poland. According to him, it is not only about supporting Ukraine but also about the participation of Polish companies in future reconstruction projects. “It is important to me that the conference in Gdańsk is a success,” the prime minister stressed.
Journalists also asked Tusk about the current state of Ukrainian-Polish relations and reports of a certain cooling of relations between the countries. In response, the head of government stated that he sees no signs that Ukraine intends to distance itself from the conference or change its plans regarding participation in it. “We’ll see how it goes, but for now I have no indication that the Ukrainian side intends to disregard this in its plans,” Tusk noted.
Separately, the Polish prime minister was asked to comment on the fact that during his last foreign trip, the Ukrainian president departed not via Rzeszów, Poland—which has long served as the main logistics hub for international visits by Ukrainian officials—but via Chisinau. Tusk made it clear that he sees no problem with this.
According to him, decisions regarding the Ukrainian president’s travel routes are made exclusively by the Ukrainian side. “President Zelenskyy is using options other than Rzeszów, and that’s all. I’m not going to tell him where and how he should fly. Rzeszów was not closed,” said the Polish prime minister. At the same time, he noted that Poland’s support for Ukraine goes far beyond military aid and includes political, humanitarian, economic, and logistical cooperation.
The conference in Gdańsk is expected to be one of the largest international events dedicated to Ukraine’s recovery. The Polish side hopes that the forum will attract new investments, boost cooperation between Ukrainian and European businesses, and help develop concrete projects for the country’s post-war reconstruction.
That is why the participation of Ukrainian leadership, as well as representatives of international partners, is considered one of the key factors for the success of this event. The head of the Polish government stated this at a press conference in Warsaw.
Official Kyiv must take responsibility for the crisis that has arisen in Polish-Ukrainian relations and initiate solutions that will satisfy the Polish side.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski reported on private consultations with Ukraine regarding the possible naming of one of the Special Operations Forces units “Heroes of the UPA.” According to him, this issue is being discussed through diplomatic channels.
Warsaw has reacted to the decision to rename the Ukrainian military unit. This concerns an elite unit of the Special Operations Forces, which, according to reports, was named in honor of the Heroes of the UPA. This has sparked a critical reaction in Polish society and political circles.
The European Commission does not expect Poland to block Ukraine’s accession to the EU over the UPA issue.
