Navrotsky and Zelensky held talks at the NATO summit
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a leaders’ dinner on the eve of the NATO summit in Ankara. The Polish leader emphasized that, despite existing bilateral disagreements, dialogue between the countries must continue due to the common threat posed by Russia.
Navrotsky said that during the dinner he had the opportunity to speak with many world leaders, including the Ukrainian president.
“Yesterday, during dinner, I spoke with many world leaders. Among them was, of course, President Zelenskyy. Perhaps there will be another opportunity today to talk,” the Polish president noted.
At the same time, he emphasized that neighboring countries must maintain dialogue, even if there are differences between them.
“It seems natural to me that neighboring countries, which share a common enemy—Russia—should maintain a dialogue, regardless of certain bilateral tensions,” Navrotsky said.
The Polish president also confirmed that his position on historical issues remains unchanged.
“My position on bilateral tensions remains unchanged. I believe that Poland and all of Europe cannot tolerate the glorification of UPA soldiers responsible for the deaths of 120,000 Poles. But this does not preclude our dialogue. We face a common threat from the Russian Federation. Ukraine is currently at war with Russia, and Poland has been in conflict with it for centuries,” he emphasized.
This meeting marked the first conversation between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Karol Nawrocki following the high-profile scandal surrounding reports that the Ukrainian president had been stripped of the Polish Order of the White Eagle.
He made these remarks upon his arrival at the summit in Ankara.
In addition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar agreed to hold a bilateral meeting in the near future.
As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Turkey.
At the NATO summit, which will take place on July 7–8 in Ankara, the allies plan to approve new long-term commitments to support Ukraine. The draft final declaration calls for 140 billion euros in military aid for 2026–2027 and reaffirms that Russia remains a threat to Euro-Atlantic security.
The NATO summit will discuss the creation of a special tribunal for Russia, according to the Dutch prime minister.
