Polish, Ukrainian presidents hold first talks since bilateral relations soured

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said he held his first conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since relations between Warsaw and Kyiv recently deteriorated, while emphasizing that political disagreements should not hinder dialogue in the face of the shared threat posed by Russia.

Speaking upon his arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara, Nawrocki said he spoke with a number of world leaders during a dinner, including Zelenskyy, European Pravda reports.

"Yesterday during dinner, I spoke with many world leaders. Among them, of course, was President Zelenskyy. There may also be another opportunity to talk today," Nawrocki said.

Addressing the tensions between Poland and Ukraine, the Polish president reaffirmed his longstanding position, saying historical disputes remain a source of disagreement but should not prevent continued engagement.

"My stance on the tensions between our countries remains unchanged. I believe that Poland and all of Europe cannot tolerate the glorification of UPA soldiers responsible for the deaths of 120,000 Poles. However, this does not rule out dialogue between us. We face a common threat from Russia. Ukraine is currently at war with Russia, and Poland has been in conflict with Russia for centuries," he said.

The conversation was the first publicly reported exchange between Nawrocki and Zelenskyy since the controversy surrounding the revocation of Zelenskyy's Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state decoration.

By Vafa Guliyeva