Zelenskyy and Nawrocki Hold First Meeting After Polish Award Controversy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on July 8 at the NATO summit in Ankara, marking their first face-to-face discussion since a high-profile diplomatic row regarding Poland’s highest state decoration.

The two heads of state, accompanied by the Ukrainian presidential team, conducted an extensive meeting that lasted for more than 1 hour, as reported by RBC.

According to Ukrainian presidential advisor Dmytro Lytvyn, the discussions between the two leaders were comprehensive. "Just finished. It was long," Lytvyn stated.

President Zelenskyy noted that the dialogue with the Polish president was both deep and meaningful, touching upon all necessary areas of bilateral cooperation.

"We met with the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki. It was an important and necessary conversation, we spoke for more than an hour. The threat we face is single and shared: it is Russia. It is crucial to maintain mutual understanding, support, and to act in a unified manner," Zelenskyy emphasized.

The Ukrainian president added that relations between Ukraine and Poland must remain robust and confirmed that both leaders agreed to maintain an ongoing dialogue.

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Earlier the same day, President Nawrocki publicly reiterated that Poland and Ukraine must continue their communication regardless of historical disputes, citing Russia as a common adversary. However, the Polish leader specified that his perspective on bilateral historical matters remains unchanged. Nawrocki stressed that "Poland and the whole of Europe" cannot tolerate the honoring of Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) soldiers.

The meeting follows a major diplomatic incident on June 19, 2026, when Karol Nawrocki stripped Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, which is Poland's highest state award presented for exceptional civil and military service.

Officials in Warsaw justified the decision by pointing to a recent decision to name a Ukrainian military unit in honor of UPA figures, stating that the move provoked strong public outrage due to intense historical sensitivities surrounding the issue in Poland.

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