Zelensky Scraps Gdańsk Visit Amid Growing Polish-Ukrainian Tensions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend the Ukraine Recovery Congress in Gdańsk this week, following a diplomatic fallout over historical disputes and the revocation of high-level state honors.

Diplomatic Relations Reach a Breaking Point

The decision to skip the conference comes as tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv hit a new peak. The friction was ignited by President Zelensky’s decision to name a military unit after the UPA, a move that sparked significant outrage and incomprehension within Poland.

Diplomatic efforts, including interventions by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, failed to persuade Ukrainian authorities to reconsider the naming. The situation further deteriorated when IPN head Karol Nawrocki announced that Zelensky should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, a decision finalized last Friday.

A Cascade of Returned Honors

Following Nawrocki’s decision, Zelensky returned the Order of the White Eagle at the sender’s expense. Several former Ukrainian presidents, including Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko, have announced they will follow suit and return their Polish state decorations.

Tusk Addresses the Absence

The Ukraine Recovery Congress, set for June 25–26, will now be led by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is among those confirmed to attend the event, which aims to facilitate reconstruction agreements and future EU relations.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated he is responsible for Poland, not Ukraine, and will not contribute to escalating the current tension. He noted that Poland has invested significant effort in preparing over 200 agreements worth hundreds of millions of dollars for post-war reconstruction. Tusk emphasized that while strong cooperation is in the mutual interest of both nations, he does not control who Kyiv sends to represent its interests in Gdańsk.