Polish foreign minister says Putin should not be allowed to exploit rifts with Ukraine

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said Ukraine and Poland must overcome their dispute and focus on the common enemy in Moscow. He said he hopes that relations between the countries could be repaired in the near future.

Source: Sikorski in an interview with CBS News, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "It's not about people falling into each other's arms. It's about deciding not to repeat the bad stuff and to find a better common future. And it's in that spirit that I hope we'll be able to handle the relationship with Ukraine."

Details: Sikorski also stressed the importance of ensuring that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin cannot exploit this dispute for his own benefit.

"We shouldn't allow Putin to take advantage of our disagreements," he stressed.

Background:

• On the evening of 19 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki took the decision to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr 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 the decision, a number of current and former Ukrainian officials announced that they would be returning their Polish honours. Questions were raised about whether Zelenskyy would attend this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference.
• Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the opposition Polish party Law and Justice (PiS), said Poland should begin blocking new rounds of negotiations in Ukraine's EU accession process.
• The Ukrainian foreign minister said on 26 June that Ukraine is willing to engage in an equal, fair and mutually beneficial partnership with Poland and wants to use all diplomatic tools to resolve the dispute.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon to help us keep reporting!