WARSAW — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk took to social media Sunday to warn that the escalating political clash between Poland and Ukraine is damaging to both nations, urging leaders to pull back from the brink of a deeper rift.
The dispute flared on Friday when Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Order of the White Eagle — Poland’s highest state honor. The move prompted three former Ukrainian presidents and other top officials to send their own Polish state awards back in protest.
Nawrocki’s decision came after Zelenskiy angered many Poles by renaming a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army — a nationalist group responsible for the massacre of Polish civilians during World War Two.
Tusk, a pro-European leader who was returned to the prime minister’s office in 2023 after his coalition defeated the nationalist Law and Justice party — the political home of President Nawrocki — posted a pointed message on X calling for de-escalation.
“Wading into a conflict between politicians in Poland and Ukraine is a strategic mistake that will harm both sides: business-wise, geopolitically, and reputationally. And in politics, as we know, a mistake is worse than a crime,” Tusk wrote.
He also noted the difficulty of the situation, adding: “In discussions with my European partners, I strive to minimise losses and reduce tensions. This is no easy task.”
