Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Karol Nawrocki in Warsaw on Friday during an official visit aimed at reinforcing bilateral ties amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
At a joint press conference, Nawrocki, who is backed by right-wing populists from the Law and Justice (PiS) party, referred to opinion polls indicating growing public frustration in Poland.
The current president said many Poles feel that the country’s extensive military, humanitarian and political assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion has not been adequately recognised. He added that the Ukrainian authorities have the means to counter this sentiment.
Komorowski, who supports the current centrist, liberal and pro-European Civic Coalition government, rejected this framing in an interview on Polish Radio on Monday morning with journalist Renata Grochal.
Nawrocki's call for 'greater gratitude' from Ukraine questioned by former Polish president
“President Nawrocki is speaking Trump’s language,” he said, arguing that neither Nawrocki nor Trump has explained what “greater gratitude” from Ukraine would actually mean.
The former president questioned whether repeated expressions of thanks should be the measure of appreciation and argued instead that expectations towards Kyiv should focus on long-term cooperation rather than symbolic gestures.
Komorowski acknowledged the weight of unresolved historical issues between the two countries but warned against allowing them to shape future relations.
He stressed that difficult history should be addressed in order to strengthen, rather than undermine, Polish–Ukrainian cooperation.
The politician also noted that the long-standing issue of exhumations of Polish victims of World War II-era massacres in present-day Ukraine has already been reopened by the current Polish government, adding that progress in this area could contribute to more stable relations going forward.
A recording of the full interview is available below.
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Source: Polish Radio/PR3/English Section