Poland supports Ukraine but does not want to be 'junior partner' - Nawrocki
Poland has supported and will continue to support Ukraine because this aligns with its strategic interests, but Warsaw expects a partnership-based approach from Kyiv, as it does not want to be a "junior partner" in the relationship.
The Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated this in an interview with Wirtualna Polska, according to Ukrinform.
"This [support for Ukraine] is in Poland's strategic interests, and this interest has not changed and will not change. It consists in supporting a country that is fighting Poland's existential enemy – Russia – and defending values that are dear to us. We must support Ukraine, and we do so. At the same time, we must – and I believe I will succeed in this – ensure that Ukraine treats Poland as a partner. The conflict [Russian aggression] has been going on for almost four years, and I have the impression that we Poles often do not feel like partners in these relations [with Ukraine]," Nawrocki said.
He added that partnership implies "openness" even during wartime, particularly on issues important to Polish society, including historical ones.
"We have lost an element of partnership between Poland and Ukraine, and I say this openly. As president, I cannot, do not want to, and will not agree to Poland being treated merely as a 'vestibule' or 'corridor' in matters that are strategically important to us. We have our own expectations of Ukraine, just as all other countries in the world do," Nawrocki stated.
He noted that issues important to Poland, including exhumations in Volyn, are "not a matter of real attention" for the Ukrainian side, and that "this raises the question: is this real partnership?"
"I hope this will change," Nawrocki added.
He stressed that the issue is not limited to historical matters alone. "If protecting the market from unfair competition, for example from Ukrainian agricultural producers, is a priority for our citizens, then I intend to address these issues consistently. There are many such issues, and none of them affect Poland's strategic support for Ukraine in the war against a brutal aggressor," Nawrocki said.
Nawrocki said he believes that partnership-based relations with Ukraine can be established in the near future. "I believe so. Of course, I do not know what President Volodymyr Zelensky's reaction will be, but he knows my views. We truly support Ukraine and will continue to do so, but we must learn to function as partners, not as 'junior partners'," he said.
Nawrocki noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Warsaw on December 19 will provide an opportunity to discuss issues that remain unresolved, and in some cases "have not even been started." He did not specify which issues he meant, noting that details of the meeting are still being worked out.
He also expressed the view that the visit could become a "new milestone" in bilateral relations, with respect for Poland's strategic interests.
As Ukrinform reported, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki said that Zelensky's upcoming visit to Warsaw is a positive step. In addition to a meeting with Nawrocki, talks are planned with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
The Office of the President of Poland confirmed the invitation for the head of the Ukrainian state to visit Warsaw on December 19. During the talks, Zelensky and Nawrocki will discuss security, economic, and historical issues.
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