Poland PM calls for ‘truth’ & 'mutual respect' with Ukraine amid row over WWII legacy

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday called for relations between Poland and Ukraine to be built on “truth” and “mutual respect” as the two countries sought to ease tensions at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, following a dispute over historical issues that led Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to skip the event.Addressing the fifth edition of the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference, Tusk stressed that a lasting partnership between Warsaw and Kyiv required an honest understanding of the past.“We can build the future only on truth, on mutual respect, on an understanding of history,” Tusk said.The conference, attended by European leaders and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, opened under heavy security and was seen as an important platform to rally investment for Ukraine’s reconstruction after more than four years of war with Russia.Zelenskyy, who has regularly attended the annual gathering, was absent from this year’s event amid a diplomatic row with Poland. Kyiv instead sent Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to represent Ukraine.The latest tensions were triggered after Zelenskyy signed a decree naming a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist group linked to massacres of Polish civilians during the Second World War. The issue has revived long-standing historical grievances between the neighbouring countries.Despite the disagreement, both sides adopted a conciliatory tone during the conference.Svyrydenko thanked Poland for its support since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.“Thank you for your help when it was the most urgent time to support us,” she told delegates.Tusk also sought to project optimism about Ukraine’s future, drawing a parallel with his native city of Gdansk, which was largely destroyed during World War II before being rebuilt.Speaking as the war entered its fifth year, he urged Ukraine’s allies to remain confident that reconstruction would eventually become possible.“Believe” that “the words ‘after the war’ will come true one day’,” Tusk said.Ukraine faces a massive rebuilding challenge after Russia’s invasion severely damaged its economy and infrastructure, with reconstruction expected to require hundreds of billions of dollars in investment.Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since the start of the war, taking in more than a million refugees and serving as a key transit hub for Western military assistance. Warsaw has also consistently backed Kyiv’s ambition to join the European Union.However, as the conflict has continued, nationalist political forces in Poland have increasingly highlighted historical disputes, contributing to a rise in anti-Ukrainian sentiment and placing strain on ties between the two allies.