Polish President Karol Nawrocki told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy last Friday that Ukrainians did not appreciate their country’s assistance to them in facing the Russian invasion.
These accusations, made by Nawrocki during a joint press conference with Zelenskyy, resemble a sharp confrontation between the latter and U.S. President Donald Trump and his Vice President Jay Dee Vance at the White House in February of last year, where Vance accused the Ukrainian president of not respecting and appreciating the American support.
Poland has hosted more than a million Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the Russian war in February 2022, and it is among the most prominent suppliers of weapons to Kyiv, and also, Poland is the main route for delivering military and humanitarian support to its neighbor.
During a press conference while Zelenskyy visited Warsaw, the Polish President stated, "The Polish people feel that our efforts and multifaceted assistance to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion have not been appreciated or understood as they should be." He added, "This is what I conveyed during a firm and honest conversation, yet it was also very friendly and nice with President Zelenskyy."
Zelenskyy responded, emphasizing that "Ukraine has always been grateful to Poland and will remain so."
He added that "he is defending Europe against Russia at a high human cost," pointing out that "Russia wants to sow discord and destroy such a strong alliance, the alliance between two nations, across many generations of Ukraine and Poland. We will not allow them to do this."
Nawrocki earlier called for better cooperation concerning around 100,000 Poles who were killed in massacres in the Volhynia region by Ukrainian nationalists between 1942 and 1945. This file still causes tension between Warsaw and Kyiv.
Nawrocki says these massacres constitute genocide, accusing Kyiv of refusing to recognize responsibility for them. Furthermore, Poland accuses Ukraine of failing to exhume the victims' bodies. Nawrocki had previously put pressure on Ukraine to allow their burial.
Zelenskyy expressed his goodwill regarding this issue. He said: "The Polish side wants to speed up this process, and the Ukrainian side is ready to take a step towards that. These are not just words but concrete actions." Nawrocki expressed his "optimism" following Zelenskyy's statements.
In a post on the X platform after the meeting, he welcomed a "new beginning" in relations with Ukraine. He said it is "bad news for Russian President Vladimir Putin."
