Ukraine, Poland discuss defense and history issues

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday discussed defence cooperation, historical disputes, and the welfare of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, issues that have strained relations between the two countries.

Zelenskiy, who stopped in the southeastern city of Lublin on his way back from talks in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, said the two leaders reviewed the results of his U.S. visit and discussed protection against Russian strikes, including anti-ballistic weapons that are crucial to Ukraine’s war effort.

A video posted on Telegram showed Zelenskiy and Tusk smiling as they sat around a table with other officials.

Tusk said on the social media platform X that the discussions focused on the outcomes of Zelenskiy’s U.S. visit and the security of Poland, Ukraine, and the wider European region.

The Ukrainian president said the talks also covered historical issues, including disagreements over interpretations of World War Two events that have recently created tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv.

The dispute intensified after Zelenskiy named an army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a nationalist military group that many Ukrainians view as a symbol of resistance against German and Soviet forces. In Poland, however, the group remains controversial because of its involvement in wartime massacres of Poles.

In June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki removed Zelenskiy from Poland’s highest state honour amid the dispute. Zelenskiy has since pledged to expand investigations into the killings.

Zelenskiy said the two leaders also discussed security concerns affecting Ukrainian refugees in Poland, saying those forced to flee their homes because of the war should feel safe in their host country.

Several hate crimes targeting Ukrainian refugees have been reported in Polish cities in recent months, as public support for refugees has declined amid growing concerns over the continued presence of large numbers of displaced Ukrainians.

Tusk on Tuesday urged an end to xenophobic attacks against Ukrainians after a widely shared video showed three Poles assaulting a Ukrainian man and his girlfriend in Wroclaw. Two suspects were arrested on Monday.

-Reporting by Ron Popeski and Anna Koper in Warsaw; Editing by Nick Zieminski/Reuters