Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha proposed a package of anti-crisis measures aimed at reducing tensions in bilateral relations during a meeting in Warsaw with his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy stated this on X, Ukrinform reports.
“Poland is vital for Ukraine, just as Ukraine is for Poland. We share a common enemy—Russia—and a common challenge: Russian aggression,” Sybiha stressed.
He said that during the meeting he proposed a “package of anti-crisis steps ” to reduce tensions in Ukrainian-Polish relations.
“This includes initiating consultations between our Ministries of Foreign Affairs, organizing a meeting of World War II expert historians who participated in the Polish-Ukrainian Congress of Historians in May, and reaching out to the religious leaders of both nations to leverage their authority in our bilateral dialogue,” the Ukrainian foreign minister said.
Sybiha noted the significant progress achieved over the past year and a half in addressing sensitive issues related to the two countries’ shared history. He pointed to the unblocking of exhumations and the resumption of the Congress of Historians. According to him, Ukraine will continue issuing permits for search and exhumation work.
The minister also assured his Polish counterpart that the name chosen by Ukrainian servicemen for a military unit had no anti-Polish connotations.
“We respect the history of others, and we expect the same approach toward our own history and independence from our partners,” Sybiha emphasized.
He added that the meeting also covered prospects for military-technical cooperation, preparations for the NATO summit in Ankara, cooperation between Ukrainian and Polish companies on Ukraine’s reconstruction projects, accelerating customs procedures for citizens and businesses, and developing border infrastructure.
Sybiha also thanked the Polish side for its prompt response to incidents of xenophobia targeting Ukrainians in Poland.
“I want to thank Radek for a candid and constructive conversation. Our job as diplomats is to maintain dialogue and utilize every tool in the diplomatic arsenal to solve problems. It is time to set emotions aside. Ukraine is fighting an existential battle with the support of our allies and partners. We possess enough wisdom, lessons from our shared history, and political will to put an end to the applause in Moscow, which rejoices at any rising tension between two of the closest neighbors. History will not forgive us if this opportunity is squandered,” the Ukrainian foreign minister stressed.
As Ukrinform reported, on June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to revoke Volodymyr Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle.
The following day, Zelensky said he had returned the decoration to the President of Poland by mail and stressed that Ukraine remains open to meaningful engagement with its partners.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Nawrocki’s decision to strip Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle plays into Moscow’s hands and has shocked Poland’s allies.
He warned against fueling anti-Polish sentiment in Ukraine and anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland.