Poland calls for dialogue with Ukraine despite historical tensions
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Karol Nawrocki (photo: Getty Images)
Poland and Ukraine must maintain dialogue despite historical disputes because they share a common enemy, Russia, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The Polish leader said he had already had a "courteous conversation" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the day before and did not rule out another meeting today, July 8.
"It seems completely natural to me that neighboring states which share a common enemy – Russia – maintain dialogue regardless of certain bilateral disagreements," Nawrocki said.
He added that Ukraine is currently at war with Russia. Poland has also conflicted with that state for many centuries, and this is the common point of reference for understanding the current situation.
Position on historical disputes
At the same time, the Polish president stressed that his views on historical issues remain unchanged.
"Poland, and I believe all of Europe, cannot accept the glorification of fighters of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, who in Poland are considered responsible for the deaths of 120,000 Poles. However, this does not rule out our dialogue. It is a natural part of diplomacy," he said.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told journalists that the leaders of Ukraine and Poland had a brief conversation yesterday evening. They agreed to try to coordinate their schedules today for another meeting.
Relations between Ukraine and Poland deteriorated after Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree granting one of Ukraine's military units the honorary title "Named after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army."
In addition, Karol Nawrocki's Chancellery reacted negatively to Zelenskyy's initiative to establish a National Pantheon. It said the proposed legislation had an "escalatory" character.
Meanwhile, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Warsaw would not agree to support Ukraine's accession to the European Union if the Ukrainian authorities continued to honor certain historical figures.
