Zelenskyy reacts to diplomatic scandal between Ukraine and Poland

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko reported this.

"During the meeting, it was emphasized that statements about the alleged ingratitude of Ukrainians for the help of the Republic of Poland are untrue and unacceptable," said spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oleh Nikolenko, quoted in the ministry's statement.

"We are convinced that Ukrainian-Polish friendship is much deeper than political expediency. Politics should not call into question the mutual understanding and strength of relations between our nations. No statements will prevent us from jointly winning peace and building a common European future," said Nikolenko.

Warsaw's reaction

In response, Poland summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych to the Foreign Ministry. 

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland has been invited to the residence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with statements by representatives of the Ukrainian authorities," the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. 

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Ukraine made a mistake when it summoned the Polish ambassador to the Foreign Ministry.  

"The summons of the Polish ambassador - a representative of the country that was the only one left in Kyiv on the day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine - to the Foreign Ministry should not have taken place. There should be no such mistakes in international politics, in the context of an ongoing war, and given the enormous support Poland has provided to Ukraine," Morawiecki wrote. 

He promised to "protect the good name of Poland, its security.”

"The interests of no other country will ever prevail over the interests of the Republic of Poland," Morawiecki assured.

Zelenskyy's statement

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for preventing the relations between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples from being spoiled. 

"We will not allow any political moments to spoil the relations between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples, and emotions should definitely cool down. The freedom and wellbeing of our peoples, the values of our Europe and the victory over the common Russian enemy are above all," Zelensky wrote on Twitter.   

He stated that politics sometimes tries to be above unity, and emotions above the fundamental interests of peoples. 

"Ukraine is fighting for its freedom and the freedom of the whole of Europe, and we are grateful to every nation that helps. We are extremely grateful for the historical support of Poland, which together with us has become a real shield of Europe from sea to sea. And there can't be a single crack in this shield," Zelenskyy said.

• In a commentary to Polish media on the demand of five EU countries to extend restrictions on imports of Ukrainian food, Minister of the Presidential Chancellery Marcin Przydacz said that the Ukrainian people "should start appreciating the role that Poland has played for Ukraine in recent months and years."