Ukraine and Poland are strategic partners who should listen to each other
New disagreements in Polish-Ukrainian political communication should not be raised to the level of a crisis, but it is also not desirable to ignore them.
The visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslav Sikorskyi to Kyiv at the beginning of September was not successful in the context of stabilizing certain tensions caused by a number of harsh statements on the subject of the “Volyn Tragedy”.
On the contrary, a tough dialogue took place between him and President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, which demonstrated an undeniable trend: official Kyiv and Warsaw need to start a direct and frank dialogue, hear each other, and start solving structural problems that have existed for a long time, but temporarily took a backseat plan against the background of consolidation in countering Russian aggression.
Expectations of Ukraine
Conversations with representatives of the Ukrainian political establishment and civil society lead to the idea that Ukraine does not understand why the Polish side has intensified the talks on the historic issue right now in the chosen format. In the Ukrainian information space, there was a rather critical reaction to the statements of the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Defense V. Kosinyak-Kamysh, who raised the issue of resolving the problem with the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy as a condition for Ukraine’s integration into the EU.
Instead, Ukraine expects not a dialogue about history, but more decisive actions by Poland to meet its military and political needs. The Ukrainian side frankly expects the formation of a new aid package from Poland, which will include MiG-29 aircraft, the readiness of the Polish armed forces to take an unprecedented step and shoot down air targets over Ukrainian territory, as well as the intensification of the negotiation process on joining the EU during the Polish presidency in early 2025 year
At the same time, the Ukrainian leadership forms maximum expectations and does not share the position on the need for concessions in response, considering such an approach as pressure on a country that is in the stage of war.
Expectations of Poland
Poland is rightly waiting for the opportunity to honor the victims of the Volyn tragedy. As a result of numerous circumstances (often of a political nature), the specified issue was always postponed or did not move into the practical sphere of solution. For Polish society, as well as for any other Christian community, it is important to carry out the reburial of the victims of those terrible historical events, to equip places where Polish citizens can come and pay respect to their fallen ancestors.
At the same time, the Polish leadership hopes that the Ukrainian side will be able to make concessions on this issue and that it is not so difficult to understand.
In Warsaw, the topic of political support for Ukraine and Ukraine’s future in the EU and NATO are not questioned. However, the Polish side expects that a decision will be made in Kyiv to agree on a number of issues of a historical and cultural nature even before the final accession negotiations begin.
Poland has formed a clear political and diplomatic approach in relations with Ukraine (it is worth admitting that Kyiv still lacks its full understanding): comprehensive support in security matters, promotion of Ukrainian security interests on EU and NATO international platforms, as well as in bilateral consultations with international partners, but pragmatism in the sphere of economic and historical-cultural policy.
If in the first case Poland is fully on the side of Ukraine, then in the second case it will put its own interests first.
At the same time, it seems that the Polish Government is counting on building predictable and pragmatic relations with Ukraine, which will be based not on the political situation, but on the clear positioning of mutual interests and the search for ways to achieve them.
Compromises that need to be reached
Unfortunately, despite the mutual strategic importance of Ukraine and Poland, there are still enough problematic aspects that will have to be resolved. This requires a clear and objective dialogue both at the level of the civil society and at the level of the political establishment.
Both sides should hear each other and form their own requests based on the objective situation. Otherwise, expectations will exceed results, and fair appeals from both Kyiv to Warsaw and Warsaw to Kyiv will be perceived as ultimatums.