Tusk: Poland Must Be Cautious with Further Financial Commitments to Ukraine

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday cautioned that Poland must be cautious in making further financial pledges to Ukraine. He stated that he had instructed the Polish delegation attending next week's NATO summit in Ankara to be reserved about any declarations of additional financial support from Poland.

Tusk explained that this is not because Ukraine does not need aid, but because Poland bears a significant responsibility for the security of the entire European Union's eastern border. He also pointed to a tougher stance toward Kyiv over a diplomatic dispute concerning historical events, specifically Ukraine's decision to grant the title of "UPA heroes" to a Ukrainian military unit.

This decision by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in May sparked outrage in Poland, as the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) is linked to the Volhynia massacre of 1943-1945, during which tens of thousands of Polish civilians were killed. Polish President Karol Nawrocki even revoked the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state decoration, previously awarded to Zelensky.

In an effort to ease tensions, the foreign ministers of Poland and Ukraine met earlier on Friday. Commenting on the meeting, Tusk noted that signals from Kyiv indicated a willingness to honestly discuss the past and an understanding that the strain harms both countries' interests. However, he stressed that reconciliation would be a long process and requires good will from both sides. "It can no longer be that only Warsaw always shows good will," Tusk added.