Zelenskyy, Nawrocki Fail to Defuse UPA Row After 1-Hour Nato Summit Talks
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 14
Zelenskyy, Nawrocki Fail to Defuse UPA Row After 1-Hour Nato Summit Talks
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 14
Summary
A 1-hour meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish President Karol Nawrocki on the sidelines of last week’s Nato summit in Turkey ended without agreement on easing a fast-worsening historical dispute.
The clash was triggered by Zelenskyy’s decision to name a Ukrainian military unit after “heroes of the UPA,” a force linked to the 1943 Volyn massacres in which about 100,000 Poles were killed.
Nawrocki already revoked a Polish state award from Zelenskyy in June, prompting Ukrainian officials to return Polish decorations and Kyiv to press ahead with a national “pantheon” likely to include UPA figures.
Poland’s leaders are now tying the row to Ukraine’s EU path: Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk have both signaled Kyiv must confront the Volyn killings before accession can advance.
The dispute marks a sharp break from the solidarity seen after Russia’s 2022 invasion and risks reducing future Polish-Ukrainian ties to narrow security interests rather than political trust.
With Russia exploiting their divide, can Poland and Ukraine afford a war over history?
Is historical truth the price of Ukraine's EU membership dream?
From Grain Ban to Geopolitical Rift: The 2026 Poland–Ukraine Crisis and Its Regional Fallout
Overview
From May to July 2026, the diplomatic relationship between Poland and Ukraine sharply declined, mainly due to a persistent dispute over Ukrainian grain imports. The crisis escalated when Poland’s parliament reaffirmed a national ban on Ukrainian grain, aiming to protect Polish farmers and appeal to rural voters ahead of local elections. This move triggered immediate economic retaliation from Ukraine and led to failed reconciliation talks between the two countries’ presidents at the NATO summit in Ankara. As a result, the conflict has expanded beyond trade, now threatening military cooperation, Ukraine’s EU integration, and overall regional stability.