Tusk warns against escalating tensions between Poland, Ukraine

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for restraint in relations between Poland and Ukraine, warning that recent "unnecessary emotional tensions" between the two countries' presidents risk undermining a strategically important partnership.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the leaders of the Visegrad Group countries, Tusk said the recent friction between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish President Karol Nawrocki had been accompanied by "inappropriate reactions from both sides," Caliber.Az reports per Ukrainian media. 

The Polish prime minister argued that allowing the dispute to deepen would be a strategic mistake for politicians in both countries.

"There is no reason for us to become entangled in this conflict," Tusk said, emphasising the need to preserve strong Polish-Ukrainian cooperation despite recent disagreements.

Tusk's comments come ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk on June 25-26, where Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko will head Kyiv's delegation instead of Zelenskyy.

Tusk said he remains in regular contact with Sviridenko and suggested that efforts are being made to lower the political temperature surrounding bilateral relations.

The conference comes amid signs of strain in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. Earlier, it emerged that Polish President Karol Nawrocki had not been invited to participate in the event, a development that attracted attention in both countries.

By Sabina Mammadli