The Polish president, Karol Nawrocki, on Friday reproached his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenski, for the lack of gratitude that, according to him, Ukraine showed despite the help received from Poland, while the Ukrainian leader counted on a relaunch of bilateral relations after the meeting they had in Warsaw, reports EFE, taken over by Agerpres. In February, similar accusations were made by US Vice President JD Vance, who in a meeting at the White House reproached Zelenski for not thanking the assistance received from the United States since the beginning of the war with Russia.
In a press conference after President Zelenski's fifth official visit to Poland, Nawrocki, who has repeatedly expressed his refusal for Ukraine to integrate into the European Union or NATO in the short term, conveyed the dissatisfaction that, according to him, exists in Polish society due to the lack of appreciation for the support offered.
“The Poles have the impression that our effort or help on all fronts to Ukraine was not received with due gratitude and understanding,” the Polish president said.
Nawrocki, who took over the position of head of state this summer, pointed out that, from 2022, his country allocated 4.91% of GDP for humanitarian and military support to Ukraine.
As for a negotiated end to the war, the Polish president placed the United States at the center of the solution and said that US President Donald Trump “is the only leader in the world who is willing to force Vladimir Putin to sign a peace agreement.”
According to Nawrocki, Trump's participation is in itself “a guarantee” to ensure the preservation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and regional security.
Angry debate in Warsaw: why was Poland absent from the last summits for Ukraine? “The Americans don't want us, the European leaders don't want us”
Concessions made by Zelensky
Instead, Zelenski described the meeting as “very positive”. He expressed his desire to overcome the tensions that have undermined bilateral relations in recent years and pleaded to write “a new and more important page in our relations”.
The Ukrainian president has expressed his willingness to allow the re-exhumation of Polish civilians massacred by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II in the present-day region of Volhynia, where Poland wants to carry out 26 excavations to recover the remains of Polish victims.
“For centuries we have lived as neighbors, but there are also tragic pages in our history. We respect your memory of what happened and rely on your respect for our memory,” Zelenskiy said.
Finally, the two leaders emphasized the progress made in bilateral cooperation. Thus, Zelenski offered Poland military advice in the field of “protection against drones”. He also reaffirmed that “we will be happy to see Polish companies involved in the reconstruction of our country”.
For his part, Nawrocki emphasized that Poland aspires to become a regional energy center, thanks, in part, to trade with Ukraine, and pointed out that “15% of the energy that reaches Ukraine is already transported through the Polish terminal in Świnoujście (north).
The tense meeting at the White House
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the White House on February 26 for talks with his American counterpart, but the dialogue turned tense along the way. Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused him of being disrespectful and ungrateful, warning that the US would withdraw from efforts to achieve peace if the authorities in Kiev did not try to reach an agreement to end the war.
“Did you say thank you once? In this whole meeting you said thank you? You were in Pennsylvania campaigning for the opposition in October. Give some words of appreciation for the United States of America and for the president who is trying to save your country,” JD told Vance.
“Please, do you think that if you talk very loudly about the war…”, Zelenski tried to answer him.
Trump interrupted and defended JD Vance's tone, drawing attention to the Ukrainian president. “Don't talk loud, don't talk loud. Your country is in big trouble. Wait a minute, you've talked enough. Your country is in big trouble. You're not winning, you're not winning this. You have a damn chance to come out OK because of us,” Trump told Zelenski.
