Tusk said that Ukraine is looking for ways to ease tensions with Poland
Ukraine is seeking ways to ease tensions in its relations with Poland, and the issue of historical memory remains an important component of the bilateral dialogue.
According to the Polish prime minister, he received positive signals following a meeting between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in Warsaw.
“I don’t know the results of the meeting, but I have indications that the Ukrainian side is looking for ways to ease tensions,” Tusk noted.
At the same time, the head of the Polish government emphasized that Ukraine must come to terms with its historical past if it aspires to become a member of the European Union.
“There can be no European community without reconciliation, and reconciliation is impossible without… coming to terms with a painful history,” the Polish prime minister stated.
As noted, the current escalation in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw is the most serious since the start of the full-scale war in 2022. Tensions escalated following Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state award. The Polish side explained this decision by citing the naming of one of the Ukrainian military units after insurgents whom Poland associates with the mass killings of Poles during World War II.
Following the talks in Warsaw, Radosław Sikorski declined to disclose details of the meeting, noting that “diplomacy favors silence.”
For his part, Andriy Sybiga reported that he had proposed a “package of anti-crisis measures” to the Polish side, which includes organizing a meeting of historians researching the events of World War II, as well as involving religious leaders in the dialogue.
“We respect the history of others and expect our partners to show the same respect for our history and independence,” emphasized the head of Ukrainian diplomacy.
In addition, Donald Tusk stated that during the upcoming NATO summit, he would recommend that the Polish delegation proceed with caution regarding new commitments to provide financial assistance to Ukraine.
“Not because I don’t believe that Ukraine needs financial support, but because, in my opinion, Poland has very serious obligations regarding the protection of the European Union’s eastern border,” the Polish prime minister concluded.
This was stated by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, according to Reuters.
Earlier, Polish officials described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s introduction of a bill to establish a National Pantheon as “actions of an escalatory nature.” Kyiv’s decision sparked a political reaction in Warsaw.
Poland has launched the official process of establishing a permanent U.S. military base on its territory. The government has already adopted a corresponding decision, and the defense minister has been authorized to negotiate with the U.S. side and prepare the necessary infrastructure.
More than a thousand U.S. service members are leaving Lithuania following the completion of a scheduled rotation. At the same time, the timing of the next contingent’s arrival and its size remain undetermined, the country’s defense minister stated.
Following inspections in May, the two largest payment terminal networks—EasyPay (LLC “FC ‘Kontraktovy Dom’”) and City24 (LLC “Swift Garant”)—were hit with massive fines: 135 million hryvnias each.
