Key facts
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Lublin, Poland, on July 29, 2026.
- The visit aimed to mend relations strained by a historical dispute over the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
- Zelensky met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss defense cooperation and refugee safety.
- The UPA's role in World War II massacres of Poles has been a point of contention.
- President Karol Nawrocki revoked Zelensky's honorary Order of the White Eagle over the historical dispute.
- There has been a reported increase in hate crimes against Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Lublin, Poland, on July 29, 2026, for talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk aimed at mending bilateral relations strained by historical disputes and addressing security concerns. The visit occurred as Zelensky returned from discussions in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The core of the diplomatic friction lies in differing interpretations of World War II events, specifically the actions of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Warsaw has expressed strong disapproval of Kyiv naming a military unit after the UPA, which is reviled in Poland for its role in wartime massacres of Poles, despite its admired status in Ukraine for fighting invaders. This dispute led Polish President Karol Nawrocki to revoke Zelensky's honorary Order of the White Eagle on June 19.
Discussions between Zelensky and Tusk focused on defense cooperation, including anti-ballistic weapons critical for Ukraine's war effort against Russia, and the security of Poland and Europe. The leaders also addressed the well-being of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, a topic of increasing sensitivity amid a reported rise in xenophobic attacks and hate crimes targeting Ukrainians in Polish cities. Police received 180 reports of hate crimes against Ukrainians in the first half of 2026, a more than 30% increase.