Zelensky and Tusk Discuss Relations and Refugee Safety

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Lublin on Wednesday to discuss defense cooperation, historical disputes and the safety of Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

Zelensky, who stopped in the southeastern Polish city on his way home from talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington, said he had briefed Tusk on the outcome of the visit.

The two leaders also discussed protection against Russian attacks, particularly air defense and anti-ballistic systems, which Kyiv considers crucial.

Tusk wrote on X that the talks focused on Zelensky’s US visit and “the security of Poland, Ukraine, and all of Europe”.

They also addressed historical disputes that have strained relations between the two countries in recent months.

Tensions escalated after Zelensky named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which many Ukrainians admire for fighting both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In Poland, however, the group is reviled for its role in wartime massacres of Poles.

Zelensky has since pledged to expand investigations into the killings.

The leaders also discussed the safety of Ukrainian refugees in Poland following a series of hate crimes. Tusk on Tuesday called for an end to xenophobic attacks after three Poles assaulted a Ukrainian man and his girlfriend in Wroclaw. Two suspects were arrested.

(Reuters, lud)