A Polish flag. Photo: open sources
Polish government says it has received no information that Zelenskyy will skip Gdańsk conference
The Polish government has said it has not received any information suggesting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will skip this week's Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk.
Ukrainska Pravda
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The Polish government has said it has not received any information suggesting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will skip this week's Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk.
Source: European Pravda, citing comments by Polish government spokesman Adam Szłapka on Polsat News
Details: "The conference will take place as planned. We have no information that the president [Volodymyr Zelenskyy] will not attend," Szłapka said when asked whether the Ukrainian leader would travel to Gdańsk for the Ukraine Recovery Conference.
Nonetheless, he stressed that the event would go ahead even if the Ukrainian president were absent.
"We know that they [the Ukrainian delegation – ed.] are still discussing this issue [Zelenskyy's attendance – ed.]. The conference will certainly take place, and the Ukrainian delegation will be present, because it concerns the reconstruction of Ukraine," the government spokesman said, adding that Polish participation in the event was also important.
"It was meant to focus on economic issues and practical cooperation (...) Our task at a time when tensions are very high is rather to pursue de-escalation and ensure that Polish interests in terms of security and the economy are safeguarded," he said.
Asked whether the Ukrainian-Polish diplomatic crisis could affect the atmosphere of the talks, Szłapka replied: "Certainly."
"There is no point in pretending otherwise. We are facing an unprecedented situation, the greatest tensions in many years. That is all the more reason why it is important for us to talk about the future," he added.
Background:
On the evening of 19 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki took the decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the naming of a Ukrainian military unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He said Poland would not allow EU accession for those who do not understand the need to renounce the "cult of totalitarianism and violence".
Following this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov announced that they would be returning the Polish state awards they had received.
So far Ukraine has not commented on whether the row will affect Zelenskyy's upcoming trip to Gdańsk, where this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference is due to take place.
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