Zelenskyy and Tusk met in Brussels following tensions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks in Brussels with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk; this was their first face-to-face meeting following a period of noticeable cooling in relations between the two countries. The conversation took place against the backdrop of political disputes and sensitive historical issues that have recently affected the dialogue between Kyiv and Warsaw.
On June 18 in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during an international summit; this was their first face-to-face meeting following a period of tension between Kyiv and Warsaw.
The talks took place in a small-delegation format: on the Ukrainian side were the president and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, and on the Polish side—Donald Tusk and Poland’s Ambassador to the EU Agnieszka Bartol. This format differed from Zelenskyy’s previous meetings with other European leaders, notably with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, where the delegations were larger and the composition of participants was more protocol-driven.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of political tensions between the two countries, which escalated following disputes over the awarding of an honorary title to a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit in honor of the Heroes of the UPA—a move that provoked a sharp reaction from the Polish side, including initiatives by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to review state honors previously awarded to Zelenskyy. Despite this, the sides are maintaining contact at the government level and are already preparing for future formats of cooperation. The Ukrainian side reported that Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to participate in the Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which will take place on June 25–26 in Gdańsk, Poland, where high-level delegations are expected to attend.
It is also noted that during his recent trips abroad, the President of Ukraine has altered his traditional transit routes, using Chisinau instead of Rzeszów, Poland—which had previously served as the main logistical hub for his international visits—a move that is also part of broader changes in diplomatic and security logistics. This was reported by a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the member countries of the anti-ballistic coalition must demonstrate tangible results of their joint efforts by the beginning of winter.
