Polish president says meeting with Zelensky may be 'new opening'
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has said that the meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, planned to take place in Warsaw on Friday, may become "a new opening" in bilateral relations.
Nawrocki made the statement in an interview with the wp.pl news and entertainment website, published on Monday.
"The Polish President's Office suggested December 19 as a date of my meeting with Ukraine's president, in Warsaw," Nawrocki said. We're working on the details. Of course, it will be the first official visit, but it's not the case that we haven't talked to each other or seen each other. I took part in at least a few talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."
He said the new opening in relations between the two countries should "respect Poland's strategic interest and speak clearly of matters that are important for Poles."
Nawrocki was likely referring to the long-standing issue of exhumations of Poles in Ukraine who were killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II, a problem in bilateral relations that has been dragging on for years, although recently some works have been reinstated.
The Polish president also complained that Poland is not being treated seriously enough in the international arena regarding Ukraine.
"We've lost an element of partnership in Poland-Ukraine relations, and I'm saying this openly," he continued, adding that he would not agree to placing Poland in the role of "a hallway" in strategically important issues.
Nawrocki also went on to criticise how Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who represents Poland in recent Ukraine peace negotiations, is being treated, suggesting Tusk is not being respected.
"It's not good news for me as the Polish president or, what's more important, for Poles," he said. (PAP)
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