Volodymyr Zelenskyy to skip postwar conference amid tensions with Poland
Summary
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not attend a postwar rebuilding conference in Poland due to a dispute over his naming of a Ukrainian military unit after a group that killed many Poles during World War II. The conference will be led by Ukraine’s prime minister instead, as tensions between Ukraine and Poland continue over historical issues.Key Facts
- Zelenskyy was expected to co-host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, Poland, but will skip it.
- The conference aims to gather partners and businesses to help rebuild Ukraine after the war.
- Zelenskyy named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which Poland sees as responsible for killing tens of thousands of Poles in World War II.
- Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki said he would revoke the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest civilian honor, which was given to Zelenskyy in 2023.
- Zelenskyy returned the Polish honor by mail and stated that the Ukrainian military chose the unit’s name and he must support them.
- The historic killings remain a painful issue in relations between Poland and Ukraine, with Poland calling it genocide.
- Zelenskyy warned that the dispute could weaken cooperation between the two countries amid tensions with Russia.
- Several former Ukrainian presidents and officials also returned their Polish honors in solidarity with Zelenskyy.
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