Tusk: Poland Will Not Trade Support for Ukraine's EU Accession, But Sets Conditions

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has assured that his country «will not trade support for Ukrainian ambitions» on Ukraine's path to joining the European Union. He made this statement at a press conference, responding to a question about the possible blocking of negotiation clusters in Ukraine's EU accession process, given the historical disputes between the countries.

Tusk emphasized that Poland will support Ukraine on its path to Europe «on conditions that will be European, safe, and beneficial for Poland.» This statement follows remarks in 2024 by Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who stated that Warsaw would not be able to agree to Ukraine's EU accession until disputes regarding events in Volhynia are resolved.

Earlier, tensions arose between Kyiv and Warsaw due to statements by then-Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba about the forced displacement of Ukrainians from «Ukrainian territories» as part of Operation Vistula. Donald Tusk also criticized these remarks, stressing that Ukraine would not become an EU member without Poland's consent, and to obtain such consent, it must meet standards, including cultural and political ones.