Poland's pressure mounts to block Ukraine from joining EU
Photo: Jarosław Kaczyński, Polish politician (Getty Images)
The leader of Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party, Jarosław Kaczyński, is calling on Warsaw to block new rounds of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, according to the Financial Times.
Kaczyński demands that Poland begin blocking further rounds of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
According to him, this call has no legal force. The fact is that he is expressing his own opinion, not the position of PiS.
Since no decisions have been made by party bodies, these high-profile statements will not affect Ukraine, the FT notes.
Kaczyński also assures that he would continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russia and do everything possible to help it win. He adds that this approach is in line with Poland’s strategic interests.
The Polish politician states that Ukraine has to know that if it wants to join Europe, and the EU is a European organization, then it has to be a normal European state and cannot have so-called perpetrators of genocide on its flags
Kaczyński also adds that Warsaw has not forgotten about reparations from Germany.
Ukraine-Poland tensions
The deterioration of relations between Kyiv and Warsaw began after President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy granted a Ukrainian military unit the honorary name of the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Subsequently, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped the Ukrainian leader of Poland’s highest state award, the Order of the White Eagle.
Against this backdrop, Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned the award to Warsaw via Nova Poshta delivery service. Warsaw was outraged by this move, perceiving it as yet another insult.
The President of Ukraine also did not attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk. Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko traveled there in his place.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk considers the Ukrainian President’s decision a gesture aimed at de-escalating tensions.
