Polish PM Tusk cautions on Ukraine aid as foreign ministers meet to ease tensions

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What's Happening

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met in Warsaw on July 3, where Sybiha proposed a package of anti-crisis measures including consultations between foreign ministries, a meeting of historians, and an appeal to religious leaders. Sybiha stated that the naming of a Ukrainian special forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army had no anti-Polish intent. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland should be cautious in committing additional financial assistance to Ukraine at an upcoming allied meeting, citing Poland's responsibility for defending the EU's eastern border, while also noting that Ukraine is actively seeking ways to reduce tensions and that confronting historical issues is necessary for its EU membership ambitions.

How We Got Here

On May 26, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree awarding the honorary name 'Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army' to the Separate Center of Special Operations 'North' of the Special Operations Forces. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, which operated in the 1940s and 1950s, is commemorated in Ukraine for its struggle against Soviet control but is remembered in Poland for the mass killing of tens of thousands of ethnic Poles during World War II. The decree stated the renaming was intended to restore historical traditions and recognize the unit's performance in defending Ukraine's territorial integrity. Almost immediately, Poland's government formally protested. Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar, publicly stating the move was 'unambiguously negative' and 'wounds the memory of the victims.' Polish President Karol Nawrocki declared that Zelensky had 'openly confessed to fascism' and announced he would seek to revoke the Order of the White Eagle that Poland had awarded Zelensky in 2023. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the naming as 'worrying' and said it pushed a historical grievance to 'a rather alarming level.' The German embassy in Ukraine, meanwhile, stated it would continue operating in Kyiv normally despite Russian threats, but the dispute quickly dominated bilateral relations. The protests spread across Poland's political establishment. Krzysztof Bosak, leader of the Confederation party, called on Warsaw to block Ukraine's EU accession until Kyiv distances itself from what he described as a 'cult of criminals' and fully unblocks all exhumations of Polish victims of the Volhynia tragedy. Lech Walesa, the former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, announced he would no longer wear a Ukrainian flag pin, withdrawing his moral support for Zelensky. Former Polish ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki returned the Ukrainian Order of Merit he had received in 2022, accusing Kyiv of honoring figures who collaborated with Nazi Germany and took part in ethnic cleansing. Poland's Foreign Ministry issued a statement asserting that the renaming 'strikes at the dialogue between our nations.' Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that the controversy was Ukraine's fault and called on Kyiv to correct the mistake. Across the border, Russia summoned Luxembourg's ambassador to protest the reburial of Andriy Melnyk, a late co-founder of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, whom Moscow describes as a Nazi collaborator. The Polish Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty described Ukraine's decision as 'stupidity' but stressed that Poland must still cooperate with Ukraine because only Russia benefits from escalation. Ukrainian officials responded by defending the decision as an internal military matter and a symbol of resistance against Russia. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi stated that the UPA's struggle symbolizes for the Ukrainian army exclusively the opposition to Moscow's imperial policy, and that the naming was not intended to offend the Polish people. President Zelensky said that as supreme commander-in-chief, he must support the names chosen by service members, and warned that exploiting anti-Ukrainian hatred for political dividends would damage bilateral relations. He expressed readiness for a face-to-face meeting with Nawrocki to resolve the issue, but said Nawrocki instead said Ukraine has no place in Europe. International reactions widened the controversy. Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and the Israeli Foreign Ministry both objected to the naming of a military unit after the UPA, citing the organization's role in the murder of Jews during World War II. In the European Parliament, 37 right-wing and far-right members sent a letter calling for Zelensky to be stripped of the European Parliament Order of Merit. Russia seized on the rift: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Poland of supporting a 'neo-Nazi regime' in Ukraine, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described arms supplies to Ukraine as only prolonging the conflict. The dispute also gave ammunition to internal EU critics, with Bulgaria and other member states questioning the efficacy of sanctions. Amid the public acrimony, backchannel diplomatic efforts began. Ukraine's Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov traveled to Warsaw on June 5 for talks with Polish officials, including Secretary of State Marcin Bosacki and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, aimed at defusing the situation. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Nawrocki's main political rival, sought to moderate the confrontation from within Poland. He publicly called on both presidents to hold a direct conversation, urging them to 'calm emotions, not fuel tensions,' emphasizing that the conflict 'delights Putin and shocks our allies.' He characterized the escalation as a 'strategic mistake' that harms both sides economically and geopolitically. Foreign Minister Sikorski, while criticizing Ukraine's original decision, expressed hope that the issue would be resolved through backchannel negotiations and argued against the revocation of the order, saying it was an 'inappropriate' response that humiliated Zelensky. Former Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said that Nawrocki's initiative damaged Poland's international image and accused Warsaw of a long-standing hostile policy toward Ukraine. The Polish civil society response was split: while public opinion soured, some liberal groups awarded Zelensky their own 'Order of the Future' as a countergesture, and six Polish and Ukrainian media outlets issued a joint appeal warning against further escalation. The naming controversy unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing conflict and diplomacy. On June 4, Zelensky published an open letter to Putin calling for direct face-to-face negotiations, proposing a ceasefire and an all-for-all prisoner exchange. Putin dismissed the outreach, stating he saw no point in meeting Zelensky and that Russia was ready for compromises based on the Anchorage talks. On June 7, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London, where they agreed that the current line of contact should be the starting point for talks, that Ukraine should have legally binding security guarantees including deployment of a multinational force, and that frozen Russian assets would remain immobilized until Russia compensates Ukraine. Zelensky stated he was ready to freeze the current front line and move to a diplomatic track. The E3 leaders issued a joint statement supporting Zelensky's call for dialogue. However, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said battlefield outcomes would determine the war's course, effectively rejecting the proposals. The UN Security Council held an emergency session after a Russian attack, with multiple members condemning Russian strikes and backing Zelensky's ceasefire calls. President Zelensky also met with King Charles III in London. The G7 summit in Evian, France, in mid-June produced significant commitments. G7 leaders agreed to increase supplies of air defense systems and interceptor missiles to Ukraine, including longer-range capabilities. They also agreed to allow European and Ukrainian companies to manufacture long-range missiles and air defense systems under licensing agreements with US defense companies. President Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump and Macron on the sidelines, with Trump saying Russia should make a deal. The European Union proposed its 21st sanctions package against Russia, targeting its military-industrial complex, shadow fleet, and including Patriarch Kirill. However, some internal EU critics emerged: Bulgaria announced a halt to arms shipments, arguing the war will not be resolved on the battlefield, and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said his government would seek the removal of Patriarch Kirill from the sanctions list. The Netherlands committed 500 million euros for drones and air defense. Belgium announced delivery of seven F-16s. Australia announced an additional $100 million in military aid. The UK announced a £752 million military aid package. Latvia transferred CVRT armored vehicles. These pledges came as Ukraine requested an additional $20 billion in military funding from the Ramstein group and pushed for quick disbursement of €6 billion from the European Peace Fund. The diplomatic escalation reached a peak when Polish President Nawrocki formally moved to revoke the Order of the White Eagle. He convened the Chapter of the Order on June 8 and on June 19 finalized the revocation, stating that Zelensky had broken Poland's 'pain threshold' by honoring the UPA. In response, Zelensky returned the award by courier, posting a photo of the package addressed to the Polish president's office and saying the award was meant for the Ukrainian people and army. He accused Nawrocki of acting for domestic political reasons and compared him to former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The Ukrainian return of awards became a domino effect: former presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko, as well as Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, and Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar all announced they would return or had returned Polish state awards in solidarity with Zelensky. Polish officials including Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz and head of the presidential chancellery Zbigniew Bogucki argued that the crisis was Ukraine's doing and that the revocation was a reasonable response. Nawrocki defended the decision, saying it was not directed against the Ukrainian people and did not signal a shift in security policy. Prime Minister Tusk continued to distance himself from Nawrocki's approach, calling the conflict a 'strategic mistake' that harms both sides economically, geopolitically, and reputationally. He urged both presidents to calm emotions and warned that the dispute delights Putin. Foreign Minister Sikorski drew attention to Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev welcoming the revocation, arguing that Moscow is the only beneficiary. Polish civil society was divided: conservative circles supported Nawrocki, while liberal groups awarded Zelensky their own 'Order of the Future' as a symbolic gesture. The public mood in both countries deteriorated. A United Surveys poll found that 58.3% of Polish respondents believed Zelensky's attitude toward Poland was negative, with only 30% viewing it positively. An Ibris poll published on June 25 indicated that 59.7% of Poles opposed Ukraine joining the European Union, reflecting a sharp decline in solidarity. In Ukraine, a KIIS survey showed that 59% of Ukrainians considered sovereignty and independence more important than welfare, indicating strong national pride that made compromise difficult. The dispute also began to spill into practical areas, with Polish opposition lawmakers calling for investigations into people of Ukrainian origin in the government. The dispute spilled into concrete areas of bilateral cooperation. Polish Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that Poland would not transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of reneging on a proposed 'MiGs for drones' exchange in which Ukraine would share drone production technologies. He stated firmly that 'with Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union,' and warned that honoring OUN and UPA figures could create serious problems for Ukraine's EU accession path. Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the Law and Justice party, announced he would return his Ukrainian award and suggested that Poland should block negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession unless Kyiv acknowledges UPA's wartime crimes. The city of Vinnytsia withdrew its request for 15 used buses from the Polish city of Kielce after local officials criticized a street naming after Stepan Bandera. Polish officials urged Vinnytsia to rename the street. The Ukrainian government confirmed that Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, not President Zelensky, would lead the Ukrainian delegation to the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, a decision Polish authorities described as correct for avoiding tensions. President Nawrocki was not invited to the conference, with the government dismissing the controversy as a political game. By late June, Polish officials intensified warnings about Russian efforts to exploit the bilateral rift. Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister in charge of special services, stated that Polish intelligence was preparing for possible Russian sabotage operations aimed at inflaming tensions between Poles and Ukrainians. He reported that Russian information warfare against Poland had intensified, with trolls and bots seeking to amplify disputes and influence the online space. Western intelligence agencies, he said, were concerned about the risk of Russian hybrid or even kinetic attacks against Poland and the Baltic states. The Kremlin, for its part, denied that it was mediating or conveying messages between the sides, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that channels for dialogue should remain non-public. Russian President Vladimir Putin held an unannounced meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at his Valdai residence on June 26, with both sides confirming that Ukraine was discussed, though Peskov denied that Lukashenko acted as an intermediary. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the 'Spirit of Anchorage' between the US and Russia was dead, dismissing Russian claims that understandings were reached. He reiterated Ukraine's readiness for an equal partnership with Poland and called for de-escalation. As tensions persisted, diplomatic channels remained active. The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada passed a law creating a National Pantheon on July 1, a step that could be interpreted as an effort to control the narrative around historical figures and address Polish concerns. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Ukraine was engaged in diplomatic work with Poland, advocating dialogue to reduce emotions and smooth over sharp edges, emphasizing that the conflict primarily concerns Nawrocki's position, not Poland's general stance. On July 3, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met in Warsaw for what both governments described as discussions on bilateral relations and the front-line situation. During the meeting, Sybiha proposed a package of anti-crisis measures including consultations between foreign ministries, a meeting of WWII historians, and an appeal to religious leaders. Sybiha stated that the naming of the special forces unit had no anti-Polish intent. The ministers noted significant progress over the past year and a half on sensitive historical issues, including resumed exhumations and continued work of the historical congress, with the Polish MFA describing the progress as the best in many years. Sikorski assured Sybiha that Poland would continue to support Ukraine in strengthening its defense capabilities. Sikorski assured Sybiha that Poland would continue to support Ukraine in strengthening its defense capabilities, and the two ministers agreed to maintain dialogue. However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk struck a more cautious note on the same day, stating that Poland should exercise restraint in committing additional financial assistance to Ukraine at an upcoming allied meeting. Tusk, who has consistently urged de-escalation while also emphasizing Poland's own burdens, said Poland bears the main responsibility for defending the EU's eastern border while Ukraine is fighting, and therefore requires special treatment from the European Union and NATO. He noted that Ukraine is actively seeking ways to reduce tensions with Poland and acknowledged that confronting historical issues is necessary for Ukraine's EU membership ambitions. The meeting between Sybiha and Sikorski represented the most significant direct engagement between the two governments since the crisis erupted in late May, but whether it would lead to a resolution of the dispute over the UPA unit naming, the return of awards, and the broader deterioration of trust remained uncertain. Both sides signaled a desire to prevent the quarrel from permanently damaging a relationship that both countries' leaders acknowledged was critical to countering the shared Russian threat.

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