Latest news with #anti-Ukrainian
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Zelensky hopes for ‘fruitful cooperation' with Poland's incoming nationalist president
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he wants to work with Karol Nawrocki who won Poland's presidential election, despite the nationalist historian's criticism of Kyiv's plans to join NATO and the EU. Nawrocki -- who narrowly defeated Warsaw's pro-EU mayor for the Polish presidency -- has throughout his campaign criticised Kyiv, including Zelensky personally, and has used nationalist rhetoric on Ukrainian refugees living in Poland. 'I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally,' Zelensky said in a post on social media. 'By reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer,' Zelensky said. Poland took in more than a million Ukrainians since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine but the country has in recent years seen growing anti-Ukrainian sentiment -- a trend that only accelerated during the presidential race. Nawrocki, endorsed by US leader Donald Trump, has been critical of Ukraine joining the EU and NATO. While Poland's pro-EU government has been one of Ukraine's and Zelensky's main supporters, Nawrocki has criticised the Ukrainian leader, accusing him of 'behaving in an indecent manner towards his allies'. Nawrocki has also pushed for Ukraine to allow the exhumations of Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II -- a long point of tension between the neighbours.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Zelensky hopes for ‘fruitful cooperation' with Poland's new president
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he wants to work with Karol Nawrocki who won Poland's presidential election, despite the nationalist historian's criticism of Kyiv's plans to join NATO and the EU. Nawrocki -- who narrowly defeated Warsaw's pro-EU mayor for the Polish presidency -- has throughout his campaign criticised Kyiv, including Zelensky personally, and has used nationalist rhetoric on Ukrainian refugees living in Poland. 'I look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with Poland and with President Nawrocki personally,' Zelensky said in a post on social media. 'By reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer,' Zelensky said. Poland took in more than a million Ukrainians since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine but the country has in recent years seen growing anti-Ukrainian sentiment -- a trend that only accelerated during the presidential race. Nawrocki, endorsed by US leader Donald Trump, has been critical of Ukraine joining the EU and NATO. While Poland's pro-EU government has been one of Ukraine's and Zelensky's main supporters, Nawrocki has criticised the Ukrainian leader, accusing him of 'behaving in an indecent manner towards his allies'. Nawrocki has also pushed for Ukraine to allow the exhumations of Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II -- a long point of tension between the neighbours.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy expects fruitful cooperation with Poland's newly elected president
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated Poland's newly elected leader, Karol Nawrocki, on his victory in the country's presidential election. Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Zelenskyy extended his congratulations to Nawrocki on Monday 2 June, following the results of the presidential election. He stated that Poland, which preserves the "strength of its national spirit and its faith in justice", has been and remains a pillar of both regional and broader European security, as well as a strong voice "defending freedom and dignity for every nation". The Ukrainian president said he expects "continued fruitful cooperation" with Poland and personally with the country's new president. "By reinforcing one another on our continent, we give greater strength to Europe in global competition and bring the achievement of real and lasting peace closer," he added. Background: In the end of May Nawrocki officially accepted the demands of Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the anti-Ukrainian Confederation party, including the pledge to block Ukraine's NATO accession, in exchange for support in the second round. Nawrocki's opponent, Rafał Trzaskowski, refused to sign such a declaration. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polish presidential candidate refuses to support initiative to block Ukraine's accession to NATO
Rafał Trzaskowski, the ruling party's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, has refused to sign a declaration containing a pledge to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. Source: Polish Radio Zet, as reported by European Pravda Details: The declaration was initiated by far-right and anti-Ukrainian politician Sławomir Mentzen. Both Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki, who is supported by the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), accepted Mentzen's invitation to a conversation, during which he asked about their stance on the eight key points of his political programme. Trzaskowski and Nawrocki will face off in the second round of the presidential election on 1 June. One of the points in Mentzen's declaration includes a pledge that if the candidate becomes president, he will not sign the law ratifying Ukraine's accession to NATO. Commenting on this fifth point of the declaration, Trzaskowski stated that he could not agree with Mentzen. Quote from Trzaskowski: "If there are no security guarantees, Putin will rearm and move further. Poland must strive for Ukraine to be accepted into NATO." Details: Mentzen immediately responded to Trzaskowski's statement. Quote from Mentzen: "If Putin can attack Poland despite it being a NATO member, then he can also attack Ukraine in NATO." Details: Trzaskowski replied that he strongly disagreed. Quote from Trzaskowski: "I know Putin very well and follow him closely. He understands only the language of force." Details: Mentzen then claimed that "everyone knows Ukraine has unresolved borders". Quote from Mentzen: "Moreover, even under Biden's presidency, the US did not agree to Ukraine's accession to NATO. Why should Poland push for something impossible?" Quote from Trzaskowski: "I did not say it would be an easy process. Poland must strive for Ukraine to be accepted into NATO. Only then will we be safe." Details: He noted that Ukraine could potentially join NATO in 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile, Trzaskowski expressed opposition to sending Polish troops to Ukraine. Background: On 22 May, Karol Nawrocki, the opposition-backed presidential candidate in Poland, officially accepted the demands of Sławomir Mentzen, leader of the anti-Ukrainian Confederation party, including the pledge to block Ukraine's NATO accession, in exchange for support in the second round. During the televised Polish presidential debate on the evening of 23 May, Ukraine and Poland's attitude towards it became one of the most contentious issues discussed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polish PM on presidential candidate's promise not to let Ukraine into NATO: It's treason
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called the opposition presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki's promise to block Ukraine's accession to NATO an act of "treason against the state". Source: European Pravda, citing a statement by Tusk on TVN24, a Polish 24-hour commercial news channel Details: Tusk said that the presidential candidate had claimed that Poland would never agree to Ukraine joining NATO, and there could be no better term for this than treason against the state. He added that he considers this one of the most high-profile scandals of this campaign. Tusk stressed that there were few issues on which full consensus and complete solidarity were reached between the late President Lech Kaczyński and himself during his time as prime minister. However, he said that there was complete agreement on the matter of Ukraine, its sovereignty, its pro-Western stance, and NATO membership. He stressed that Ukraine's NATO membership was fundamental for Poland's security, and therefore the last thing Poland should do was to implement or support Putin's demands. Background: The signing of an eight-point declaration between Nawrocki and Sławomir Mentzen, the leader of the Confederation, an anti-Ukrainian organisation, took place during a live broadcast. Nawrocki stated that he would not sign the law ratifying Ukraine's accession to NATO. According to him, discussing this issue is pointless. Following the first round of the presidential election held on 18 May, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski from the ruling party advanced to the second round with 31.36% of the vote, along with Karol Nawrocki, Head of the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, backed by the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), who received 29.54%. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
