Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has presented an “anti-crisis” package to Warsaw aimed at easing a diplomatic rift over historical memory, warning that any deepening division between the two neighbors will only bring “applause in Moscow.”
Sybiha’s remarks followed face-to-face talks with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in Warsaw on Friday. The meeting came amid serious strain in bilateral ties after Ukraine named a military unit after a historical formation, sparking criticism from Polish officials.
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Sybiha proposes anti-crisis steps
To defuse tensions and prevent Russia from exploiting the dispute, Sybiha outlined a roadmap for diplomatic stabilization.
The package includes immediate consultations between the Ukrainian and Polish foreign ministries, a meeting of World War II expert historians who participated in the Polish-Ukrainian Congress of Historians in May, and outreach to religious leaders from both countries to support reconciliation and bilateral dialogue.
Sybiha also reassured Sikorski that the Ukrainian military’s choice of unit name “carried no anti-Polish intent,” while stressing that Ukraine continues to issue permits for search and exhumation operations.
“Poland is vital for Ukraine, just as Ukraine is for Poland,” Sybiha wrote on X. “We share a common enemy – Russia – and a common challenge: Russian aggression.”
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He said Ukraine is defending not only its own security, but also the security of Poland and Europe as a whole.
Russia seeks to exploit divisions
Despite tensions over historical memory, the ministers also discussed battlefield developments, Ukraine’s long-range strikes against Russian military infrastructure, military-technical cooperation, and preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.
The talks came amid growing warnings that Moscow is seeking to exploit political and historical disputes between Kyiv and Warsaw.
Recent reports, citing US intelligence briefings to Poland, warned that Russia may be considering a provocation on Polish soil or against NATO’s eastern flank to test the alliance’s resolve.
Possible scenarios include drone or missile strikes, sabotage against critical infrastructure, or a limited Russian or Belarusian border incident that Moscow could attempt to portray as an accident.
Polish officials have also warned that Russian information and sabotage operations are aimed at inflaming tensions between Poles and Ukrainians, weakening support for Kyiv, and creating political pressure inside NATO.
‘Time to set emotions aside’
The ministers discussed joint defense cooperation, reconstruction projects involving Ukrainian and Polish companies, customs procedures, and the expansion of border checkpoint infrastructure.
Sybiha said he received assurances that Poland would continue supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
“It is time to set emotions aside,” Sybiha wrote. “Ukraine is fighting an existential battle with the support of our allies and partners.”
He said diplomats must keep dialogue open and use “every tool in the diplomatic arsenal” to solve problems.
“We possess enough wisdom, lessons from our shared history, and political will to put an end to the applause in Moscow, which rejoices at any rising tension between two of the closest neighbors,” Sybiha said.
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