“Beyond strategic issues, we are aware today – and Poles have the impression – that our efforts have not been properly appreciated, and this was one of the topics of our conversation. I conveyed this during a firm but cordial discussion with the President,” President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki said at a press conference with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Warsaw today, where he met with President of the Republic of Poland Karol Nawrocki. At the press conference, the Polish head of state indicated that talks with President Zelensky focused primarily on security issues and the shared perception of the threat posed by Russia. As he said, both leaders agreed that Russian aggression is long-term in nature and includes not only military operations but also hybrid actions directed against countries of the region. President Nawrocki emphasized the scale of Polish support for Ukraine – military, humanitarian, and political alike – pointing out that since 2022 Poland has made an enormous effort in this regard. He also noted that one of the topics of the discussion was the insufficient appreciation of this support by the Ukrainian side.
Historical issues were also discussed, including matters requiring further clarification through cooperation between the institutes of national remembrance of both countries. As he added, an important element of the meeting was also talks on economic cooperation, the reconstruction of Ukraine, and Poland’s potential as a regional energy hub.
“I would like to say that President Zelensky’s visit to Warsaw is good news for Poland and Ukraine, as well as for our entire region, and bad news for the Russian Federation. It is proof that on strategic issues, our strategic cooperation in terms of security, Poland, Ukraine, and the countries of the region filled with democratic values stand together, and this has never been in doubt. This is how I view today’s visit. We spoke with the President about the fact that the Russian threat did not begin with the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022. That was a clear turning point, but it all began earlier. Here in Poland, we remember Grozny, Georgia, as well as the words of the late President Lech Kaczyński, spoken out of concern for the entire region, which were not heeded in parts of Western Europe. Through its actions, Russia has been undermining the international order, violating the principles of international law, and contributing to the destabilization of political systems for many years. We in Poland were aware of this. In addition to military actions, we observe hybrid operations every day: violations of airspace, drone attacks, damage to infrastructure, attacks on Polish infrastructure carried out by agents of the Russian Federation. We are experiencing this across Europe,” said the President.
He emphasized that “as President of Poland, I regularly support sanctions against Russia in diplomatic forums, we support strikes against the shadow fleet, which is the subject of discussion in many international bodies, and we support efforts to transfer Russian assets consistently across all diplomatic fields – the Polish government is doing the same.”
“Since 2022, we have provided Ukraine with political support – here I extend my greatest thanks to my predecessor Andrzej Duda, who became the first serious diplomat to advocate for support for Ukraine. We spoke with the President about the scope of humanitarian and military assistance. Since 2022, 4.91 percent of Poland’s GDP has gone toward supporting our neighbor in various areas. Both the President and I are also aware of our military support, “he recalled.
“Our efforts have not been properly appreciated”
Nawrocki pointed out that during the talks he stressed that “in the European security system, the hub in Jasionka near Rzeszów plays an enormous role, through which more than 90 percent of global support for Ukraine passes.” He added that “today we stand together with President Zelensky with an awareness of what our strategic security goals look like and how we perceive Russia – as a neo-imperial, post-Soviet state that poses a threat to all of Europe.”
“Beyond strategic issues, we are aware today – and Poles have the impression – that our efforts have not been properly appreciated, and this was one of the topics of our conversation. I conveyed this during a firm but cordial discussion with the President. We are aware that the authorities in Kyiv today have the instruments to halt and reject this sentiment, this trend. We met to address major issues – issues of security and the threat from Russia – and to resolve matters that require action today. Here, the most time, apart from security, national issues, and the peace expected by Ukraine and the entire world – a peace that should be lasting and binding, not one that gives Russia a chance to regroup its forces. These are also convergent interests of all of Europe, Poland, and Ukraine, to resolve during discussions on the most important matters issues that are also very important to Poles, including historical questions,” he announced.
He added that “the meeting was attended by the President of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) and the director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance – we devoted an appropriate amount of time to this discussion, convinced that these issues must be resolved. The 26 applications of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) that were sent to the Ukrainian side should be examined in line with our partnership and our relations.”
“I would like to thank the President very much for the discussion on economic and business cooperation, for clear declarations regarding the participation of Polish entrepreneurs in the investment process and the reconstruction of Ukraine after the peace we all await is agreed. We share the view that this peace cannot be achieved without the involvement of U.S. President Donald Trump, whom I greatly respect as President of the Republic of Poland. The American leader is the only leader capable of forcing Putin to sign a peace,” he stated.
In the opinion of the President of the Republic of Poland, “there are many strategic factors that determine why we should build good-neighborly relations.”
“There are issues that we are simply beginning to clarify consistently, which I view with optimism. Thank you for the President’s declaration and today’s visit,” he concluded.