Key facts
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki hosted an informal summit with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Romania.
- The meeting occurred in Jurata, Poland, prior to the NATO summit in Ankara.
- Key discussion points included regional cooperation, security of the Baltic and Black Sea regions, and transatlantic relations.
- The summit also addressed strengthening NATO's eastern flank and enhancing European defense capabilities.
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda offered to mediate the ongoing dispute between Poland and Ukraine.
- The dispute involves historical assessments of Ukrainian nationalist groups and a Ukrainian military unit's name.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki hosted an informal summit with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Romania in Jurata, Poland. The meeting, held ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, focused on strengthening regional cooperation, security in the Baltic and Black Sea regions, and transatlantic relations. Discussions also encompassed enhancing NATO's eastern flank, developing European defense capabilities, and advancing energy and transport infrastructure.
Central to the discussions was the escalating dispute between Poland and Ukraine. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed his readiness to mediate the conflict, emphasizing the importance of addressing the issue, especially given the ongoing war in Ukraine. The tension between Warsaw and Kyiv intensified after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to name a military unit "Heroes of the UPA." This move drew criticism from top Polish officials, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and led President Nawrocki to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honor, which was subsequently returned by Ukraine.
The historical context of the dispute involves the activities of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which are associated with the ethnic cleansing of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Lesser Poland between 1943 and 1945.