Ukraine's Zelenskyy and Poland's Nawrocki meet for the first time
Collage by RBC-Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish President Karol Nawrocki
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, for the first time. The main topics of their talks were security, the economy, and history.
What is known about the first meeting between the leaders is detailed in the RBC-Ukraine report below.
Background
Zelenskyy met with the newly elected President of Poland in Warsaw for the first time since his election. The meeting was initiated by the Polish side.
After Nawrocki's election victory, Zelenskyy kept in touch by phone, but a face-to-face meeting took place only four months later, despite the fact that the Ukrainian President had repeatedly crossed Poland during his foreign visits.
According to Polish media reports, Nawrocki repeatedly declined invitations to Kyiv, emphasizing that Poland seeks symmetry and mutual respect in its relations with Ukraine.
Moreover, on December 5, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that President Zelenskyy would not have lost his crown if, while passing through Poland, he had asked to visit the Presidential Palace.
Problematic issues
The new Polish President sees relations with Ukraine as tougher than his predecessor, Andrzej Duda. He noted that Warsaw's assistance should not be perceived by Kyiv as a matter of course, and that Poland should be a full-fledged partner, not a corridor or antechamber in strategic issues.
The Polish President insists on a more prominent role for Warsaw in the peace talks on the war in Ukraine.
During the election campaign, Nawrocki opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO while it is at war with Russia, explaining this by his fear that accession would drag all Alliance member states into the war.
After he was elected President, he declared that discussions about Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU were premature.
Another important issue is the establishment of historical justice. Nawrocki, a historian by education, emphasizes the need to resolve the issue of the Volhynia tragedy.
Despite the differences, the Polish President assured that Warsaw must support Ukraine and will continue to do so. All that is needed now is to learn to act as partners, not as junior partners.
Ukrainian position
Ukrainian Ambassador to Warsaw Vasyl Bodnar confirmed that Kyiv is interested in close contact with the new Polish leadership to discuss defense cooperation and peace support.
On the eve of the visit, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to Poland for its good neighborliness.
"We are very grateful to Poland for its support. Good neighborliness is very important to us. As for my visit to Poland, the Polish side has offered us Friday. I think we will not postpone anything," he said during a conversation with journalists on December 14.
What else to expect from Zelenskyy's visit to Poland
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been on an official visit to Poland since yesterday.
After talks with Nawrocki, Zelenskyy is scheduled to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This will be followed by meetings with key representatives of the Polish parliament: Sejm Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty and Senate Marshal Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.
In the afternoon, Zelenskyy will meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the steps of the government building.
There will be no press conference after this meeting, but the talks are important for the development of bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation between Kyiv and Warsaw.
