On December 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki handed President Volodymyr Zelensky a book about the Volyn massacre during a formal visit to Warsaw.
Gift Presented to Zelensky
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Warsaw on 19 December for an official visit. He was formally welcomed before the Presidential Palace by Polish President Karol Nawrocki, accompanied by representatives of the Presidential Chancellery and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the ceremony, the presidents entered the palace where the key part of the visit—bilateral talks—began.
Extended Bilateral Discussion
Although the schedule called for a swift transition to delegation talks, the one‑on‑one meeting between Nawrocki and Zelensky ran significantly longer. Reporters noted that the discussion lasted several dozen minutes beyond the planned timetable. Topics covered security, economic cooperation and historical issues. The extension signalled that the talks were serious and detailed. “I had a hard, honest and partner‑like conversation with President Zelensky about matters key to Poland and Ukraine,” Nawrocki later wrote on X.
Book on the Volyn Massacre
During the discussion, a book on Nawrocki’s desk caught attention and was subsequently presented to Zelensky. The two‑part work by the Institute of National Remembrance, titled “Documents of the Volyn Crime,” was published in 2023 while Nawrocki was IPN chairman. It contains witness testimony, most of which was corroborated by eyewitness signatures. The Volyn case remains one of the most significant and sensitive issues in Polish‑Ukrainian relations for decades.
Upcoming Parliamentary Meetings
After concluding the palace talks, Zelensky went to the Sejm and Senate where meetings with Polish parliamentarians were scheduled. The visit’s highlight will be a meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister’s Office, planned for the afternoon. Live updates on the Ukrainian president’s stay in Poland are available through the accompanying coverage.