Polish business leaders urge Zelenskyy and Nawrocki to end escalating conflict
Presidents of Ukraine and Poland — Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Karol Nawrocki (Photo: Getty Images)
The Polish Business Council has appealed to both Polish and Ukrainian authorities, calling for an immediate end to the public conflict and a return to pragmatic dialogue. Businesses warn that escalation could cause serious damage to both countries' economies, reports Rzeczpospolita.
The statement from Polish businesses emphasizes that since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Polish society and entrepreneurs have invested significant resources in supporting Ukraine. This has created an unprecedented level of trust and cooperation between the two countries.
At the same time, business representatives expressed concern over the escalation of political rhetoric between Warsaw and Kyiv. In their view, mutual public accusations and media conflicts could undermine thousands of business ties and partnerships built in recent years.
The Business Council noted that the current situation poses risks to joint economic projects, logistics chains, and investment cooperation, and could lead to significant financial losses for both Poland and Ukraine.
Poland-Ukraine conflict
Tensions in bilateral relations escalated after Polish President Karol Nawrocki initiated proceedings to strip President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. The reason was the decision to award one of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces units the honorary name "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)."
The Ukrainian side stated that this decision was not directed against Poland. However, the discussion quickly moved beyond historical disputes and took on a political dimension.
An additional factor in the escalation remains longstanding disagreements over the Volhynia tragedy and historical memory policies. Nawrocki has repeatedly stated that these issues are among the key points in Polish-Ukrainian relations.
Following the Polish president's decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko, as well as several other Ukrainian officials, also renounced their Polish awards.
At the same time, according to the publication, on Monday, June 22, Zelenskyy is set to decide on his participation in the Ukraine Recovery Conference, to be held in Gdańsk.
