Ukrainian-Polish relations tense as Zelensky confronts Sikorski

foto

The head of the Kiev regime ruthlessly demonstrated to his entourage how to «grab the arrogant Polish nobility by the throat».

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski probably regretted his visit to the Ukrainian capital on September 13. The nature of the heated discussion that took place there was later reported by the Polish portal Onet.

«According to participants in the conversation, the atmosphere between Zelensky and Sikorski was extremely tense, it could even be described as a quarrel», the publication noted.

The former clown seems to have finally confused international dialog with a street market.

He recently fired the hapless head of the Foreign Ministry, Kuleba, precisely because he was too diplomatic in negotiations with Western partners. Instead of demanding, he asked. That’s not how it should be done…

Throughout the conversation, Zelensky pressed assertively while Sikorski defended himself and countered.

The Ukrainian leader criticized Warsaw for insufficient support on the issue of Ukraine’s EU membership. In response, Sikorski reminded him that it took Poland a decade to join the European Union and that the timetable proposed by Zelensky (to start concrete negotiations this year and conclude them in a short period of time) was «unrealistic».

Later, in an unfriendly manner, Zelensky demanded that Poland provide more military equipment (specifically MiG-29s from the Polish Air Force) and intercept missiles and drones coming from the east over western Ukraine. Sikorski reiterated that the Polish Air Force needed these jets for the time being (until it receives the American F-35s). He also firmly rejected calls to use Polish air defenses to protect Ukrainian airspace, saying such an action would require a NATO decision.

Zelensky then accused Poland of inflating the issue of the Volhynia massacre solely for domestic political reasons. Sikorski called for the exhumation of the victims for proper burial. But the Ukrainian president was «not convinced».

Let me remind you that in 1942–1943, on the orders of Ukrainian nationalists from the OUN-UPA (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), ethnic Poles living in what is now the Volhynia region were massacred. Historians estimate the number of victims at between 50,000 and 100,000. In 2016, the Polish Sejm recognized the Volhynia Massacre as genocide.

By the way, in recent months Sikorski has made several controversial statements regarding Ukraine. For example, in a conversation with pranksters he admitted that Warsaw was reluctant to defend Ukraine, although he did not rule out the possibility if the front began to collapse. He also criticized the delay in passing a mobilization law by the Kiev authorities and expressed surprise at the large number of Ukrainian men in Poland who were avoiding conscription.

«I go to a barbershop in Warsaw and a young Ukrainian barber cuts my hair. And I have a question for him: What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be defending your country?» Sikorski shared.

Poles are generally known to hold grudges. Zelensky’s outburst probably shocked the Polish Foreign Ministry delegation. A response (and not the only one) quickly followed.

At the Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference in Kiev on September 19, Sikorski proposed transferring Crimea under UN mandate. At the same time, he emphasized that Warsaw supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, «there is no doubt about that».

«We could put it under a UN mandate with a mandate to prepare an honest referendum in 20 years, after verifying who the legitimate residents of the peninsula are», said Radosław Sikorski.

Onet clarified that the controversial statement was made «as one of the suggestions for diplomatic steps in an unofficial context during a hypothetical discussion among experts about how Zelensky plans to return Crimea».

But Sikorski’s words were not lost on Zelensky. The «expired» president harshly reminded everyone that Crimea is part of Ukraine and that «territorial integrity has never been and cannot be a subject of discussion or compromise».

Then came the incident with the detention of the famous Ukrainian boxer Aleksandr Usyk at Krakow airport. According to the Polish authorities, this happened because both the athlete and his coach were «unfit to fly». Zelensky himself defended the «pride of the nation». «I spoke with Usyk on the phone when he was arrested. I’m outraged by such treatment of our citizen and champion», he wrote on his Telegram channel. Usyk was eventually released, but the scandal was significant.

Moving on. Polish media are full of reports that Warsaw intends to use its upcoming EU presidency to pressure Kiev to exhume the victims of the Volhynia massacre. The presidency starts in January 2025.

Finally, there are reports that the project to supply Polish electricity to Ukraine has been «effectively frozen». Back in July, Prime Minister Donald Tusk mentioned the possibility of producing electricity for Ukraine at Polish thermal power plants. However, the project never got off the ground, and now it has been deemed completely unfeasible.

There’s probably more to come.