Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a short stop in Poland on Saturday afternoon to thank and decorate two Polish volunteers, at a time when relations between Kiev and Warsaw are very tense, reports AFP.
Volodymyr ZelenskyPhoto: Pool for Yomiuri / AP / Profimedia
On his return from the United States and Canada, Zelenski stopped in the city of Lublin, in eastern Poland, but, according to Polish media, he did not meet with any Polish official, reports News.ro.
“On my way to Ukraine, I had the honor to mark in Lublin the efforts of Polish citizens and volunteers,” announced Volodymyr on his Twitter account.
While in Lublin on my way back to Ukraine, I was honored to award two prominent Poles, volunteers, Bianka Zalewska and Damian Duda, Ukrainian state awards.
Bianka is a journalist for TVN Discovery Poland who has helped provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainians and transport wounded… pic.twitter.com/96Jl2h7gsu
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) September 23, 2023
Last week, Poland extended its embargo on Ukrainian grain to protect the interests of its farmers, sparking an open crisis with Kiev, despite being a close partner.
Ukraine filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, which also maintained restrictions on Ukrainian grain despite Brussels lifting them.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian president denounced to the UN the fact that “certain countries pretend to be in solidarity (with Ukraine, no) indirectly supporting Russia”. This angered Warsaw, which summoned the Ukrainian ambassador.
Poland then announced that it would no longer deliver new weapons to Kiev, but would simply continue with previously agreed deliveries and focus on modernizing its military.
Warsaw is one of Kiev’s main allies in the armed conflict against Russia, and Western military aid mainly passes through its territory.
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