Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed a call for symmetry in bilateral relations with Ukraine, outlined his gratitude to the Polish people for the aid provided, and invited the President of Ukraine to a meeting in Warsaw.
The statement was made during a visit to the Rzeszów–Jasionka logistics hub, where humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine is collected. According to the head of state, such support forms part of Poland’s strategic posture, and the alignment with the government remains intact.
«However, I consistently demand symmetry in the relations between Poland and Ukraine. If we analyze hundreds of thousands of donations made in the humanitarian sphere, in the form of military equipment and ammunition, and if we pay attention to the enormous efforts the Polish people have undertaken to help Ukraine, which remains unchanged and is our strategic constant, then we also expect that President Volodymyr Zelensky, and this distinguishes us (the presidency’s chancellery) from the government, will respect these Polish efforts, and will also be open to certain proposals of the Polish state and express gratitude to Polish soldiers, Polish citizens and the Polish state»
Key Points of the Visit and Symmetry in the Relations
«And I hope that President Zelensky will visit me in Warsaw, and we will have the opportunity to discuss this, because there are matters that Poland needs to resolve with Ukraine»
– Karol Nawrocki
The head of the president’s chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, and the head of the Bureau of International Policy, Marcin Pszidach, expressed the view that if Zelensky needs a discussion with Nawrocki, he should come to Warsaw to meet his Polish counterpart.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, expressed Kyiv’s position on a possible visit and noted that Kyiv has proposed several dates to Warsaw for Nawrocki to meet the President of Ukraine, and no negative signals have been reported from Poland. According to the diplomat, the newly elected president typically begins diplomatic visits with neighboring countries, which is normal practice.
Former Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, in an interview, expressed the view that, if he were Nawrocki, he would go to Kyiv himself. At the same time, he does not rule out the possibility of a similar move by Zelensky upon the invitation of the Polish leader.
After the recent visit to Bratislava, Nawrocki emphasized Poland’s support for Ukraine, which remains aligned with Warsaw’s interests in the bilateral format, but at the same time urged the Ukrainian side to also take into account historical aspects in the relations between the two countries.
The President’s Chancellery in Poland also emphasizes that the Ukrainian side should consider certain steps from Warsaw, particularly regarding the simplification of permits for conducting search and exhumation work in Ukraine, as part of bilateral discussions.
Since his inauguration on August 6, Nawrocki has undertaken a series of international trips, including visits to the United States, Italy, the Vatican, Finland, France, and other neighboring countries, illustrating Poland’s active diplomatic course in supporting Ukraine and advancing dialogue with Kyiv.