In a joint statement issued during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in the northern Polish city of Gdańsk, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Svyrydenko described the relationship between Warsaw and Kyiv as a strategic partnership forged through decades of cooperation and strengthened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"The security of Poland and Ukraine is inseparably linked," the two leaders said, arguing that the security of Europe as a whole depends on continued cooperation between their countries.
The statement came amid renewed tensions over differing interpretations of World War II-era events, including the role of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist force viewed by many Ukrainians as a symbol of resistance but associated in Poland with the wartime massacre of tens of thousands of Polish civilians.
Tusk and Svyrydenko acknowledged the historical disagreements but said they should not be allowed to jeopardize the future of bilateral relations.
"We want significant differences in the interpretation of history not to undermine the foundations of cooperation and the secure future of our nations," they said.
The two governments pledged to address historical disputes through professional dialogue, including through the Polish-Ukrainian Historical Congress launched earlier this year, and to expand cooperation in historical education and efforts to counter disinformation.
The leaders also highlighted Poland's support for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, describing the assistance provided by Polish citizens to Ukrainian refugees as unprecedented.
The joint declaration was issued as officials from dozens of countries and international organizations gathered in Gdańsk for the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference, which focuses on rebuilding Ukraine and mobilizing international investment.
According to the statement, the conference brought together 68 government delegations, more than 30 international organizations and hundreds of businesses. The event was expected to produce around 200 agreements, including a dozen or so involving Polish companies.
The two prime ministers said the agreements reflected plans to deepen cooperation in energy, defense, infrastructure and economic development.
They also pledged to expand military and technological cooperation, including joint projects designed to draw on Ukraine's battlefield experience and make use of European Union defense initiatives and funding mechanisms.
The statement reaffirmed Poland's support for Ukraine's bids to join both the European Union and NATO.
The leaders welcomed recent progress in Ukraine's EU accession process and expressed hope that additional negotiating chapters would be opened in line with the bloc's enlargement procedures.
The two prime ministers invoked a call for reconciliation made by Pope John Paul II during a visit to Lviv 25 years ago, saying forgiveness, mutual respect and solidarity should guide relations between the two nations as they work toward a shared future.
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Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl