Polish and Ukrainian leaders meet to thaw diplomatic crisis at NATO summit
The presidents of Poland and Ukraine have held their first talks since a damaging dispute over wartime history erupted, a crucial step to prevent the rift from undermining European security cooperation against Russia.
Karol Nawrocki and Volodymyr Zelensky held a brief conversation on the sidelines of a NATO summit dinner in Ankara on Tuesday evening. The meeting marked the first direct contact between the two leaders since late May, when a bitter diplomatic crisis erupted over Kyiv's decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
For European governments and investors, the dispute threatened to fracture a vital security and logistics corridor on the EU's eastern border. A sustained breakdown between Warsaw and Kyiv would complicate military supply chains and destabilise a region central to Europe's post-war economic architecture. The Ankara talks suggest both sides are now working to contain the damage.
Nawrocki struck a firm but conciliatory tone following the discussions. "It seems natural to me that neighbouring countries, which share a common enemy, Russia, remain in dialogue with each other, regardless of certain bilateral tensions," he said. He maintained that "Poland, and I believe all of Europe, cannot accept the reference to UPA soldiers who are responsible for the deaths of 120,000 Poles. However, this does not preclude dialogue and discussion."
The UPA is revered in Ukraine for fighting Soviet rule, but is reviled in Poland for leading the Volhynia massacres, the slaughter of roughly 100,000 ethnic Polish civilians during World War Two. Poland recognises the massacres as genocide, a label Ukraine rejects. The crisis escalated when Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of Poland’s highest honour, prompting the Ukrainian leader to cancel plans to attend a recovery conference in Warsaw and declare that "no one will dictate which heroes we honour."
Despite the thaw in Ankara, sharp rhetoric persists ahead of Saturday's anniversary of the Volhynia massacres. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelensky’s chief of staff, warned Warsaw against issuing ultimatums to reverse the military unit's naming. "The last one who tried to give us an ultimatum was Russia," Budanov said. "No offence to Poland, but [Russia] is somewhat more powerful than Poland – and we didn’t accept its ultimatum either."
Dmytro Lytvyn, a communications advisor to Zelensky, confirmed the Ankara exchange and indicated a second meeting could follow. Warsaw has signalled it expects a "correction" of the unit's name following a visit to Poland last week by Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, who proposed an "anti-crisis package" to de-escalate the row. Neither side has indicated the core dispute is close to a resolution.
