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The Ukrainian leader has lashed out at a Polish presidential candidate who cast doubt over Kiev’s prospects of joining the EU
Politicians from Poland’s opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party have accused Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky of interfering in their country’s upcoming presidential election.
The claim follows comments Zelensky made earlier this week about PiS presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki. The right-wing politician claimed last week that Kiev could have no future in the EU or NATO until it takes responsibility for the WWII Volhynia massacres. Regarded as a genocide in Poland, the mass murder spree saw up to 120,000 Poles, Jews, Roma, Armenians, including women and children killed by the nationalist Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
”If Ukraine is not in the EU and not in NATO, if there are no security guarantees for Ukraine, then Pan Nawrocki should start training, because it may turn out that he will have to take up arms,” Zelensky responded in an interview with local media during his visit to Poland on Wednesday.
The remarks sparked outrage in Poland. Former prime minister and PiS deputy Mateusz Morawiecki suggested that the Ukrainian leader “deal with Ukraine’s affairs, and we will choose our president ourselves.”
“He has the right – and even a duty – to defend his country’s interests, but it is we who decide who the candidate is and what views they hold on the most fundamental issues,” the politician told Radio Wnet on Thursday.
Morawiecki also reproached Zelensky for his open support of the presidential candidate from the ruling Civic Coalition party, Rafal Trzaskowski. He described the Ukrainian leader’s meeting with Trzaskowski, and statements about the opposition candidate, as “inappropriate.”
“I think Zelensky did not prepare well for this visit and bet on one candidate. He made a big mistake,” Morawiecki concluded.
Another PiS politician, former education minister Przemysław Czarnek, took to X to urge Zelensky to apologize.
”Dude, what are you talking about? Don’t you remember? There would be no Ukrainian army and there won’t be one without Europe, especially Poland, and our help for you. Cool down… and apologize,” he wrote.
EU and NATO member Poland has been one of Kiev’s staunchest supporters since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, supplying armored vehicles, artillery systems, and a “maximum number” of MiG-29 jets.
Since 2022, Warsaw has provided Kiev with over $4.6 billion in aid, more than 70% of which has been military assistance, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute.
