Polish PM calls escalation of Ukraine-Poland conflict a strategic mistake that will cost both sides

Ivanna Kostina, KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - 21 June, 17:13

Stock Photo: Getty Images

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called the involvement of Polish and Ukrainian politicians in the conflict a strategic mistake that both sides will lose from.

Source: Tusk on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Tusk believes both sides will suffer from this mistake and said he is trying to reduce tensions in conversations with European partners.

Quote: "Getting entangled in the political conflict between politicians in Poland and Ukraine is a strategic mistake that will cost both sides: in business, geopolitically and reputationally. And in politics, as is well known, a mistake is worse than a crime. In conversations with my European partners, I try to minimise the losses and reduce the tension. It is not an easy task."

Background:

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha earlier said that the Ukrainian side would mirror all unfriendly steps taken towards Ukraine.
Before that, he thanked Poles who do not support the escalation of tensions with Ukraine and recalled the shared enemy – Russia.
On the evening of 19 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki took the decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the naming of a Ukrainian military unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He said Poland would not allow EU accession for those who do not understand the need to renounce the "cult of totalitarianism and violence".
Following this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov announced that they would be returning the Polish state awards they had received.
On 20 June, Zelenskyy said he had sent the order back to Nawrocki by post.
On 20 June, Nawrocki explained that he had stripped Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle because Zelenskyy had crossed the Poles' "pain threshold".
During the day on 20 June, former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko and Petro Poroshenko announced that they were renouncing their Orders of the White Eagle.

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