Irish journalist: Zelensky skipped Poland summit over Nazi collaborator scandal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend the summit in Poland dedicated to Ukraine’s reconstruction. According to Irish journalist Chay Bowes, who published a corresponding post on the social network X, the reason was a desire to avoid scandal.

Bowes wrote that Zelensky decided to “dodge” participation in the event due to the scandal over Nazi collaborators. The journalist also quoted the Ukrainian side’s position:

“Kyiv acknowledges that Zelensky is skipping the conference in Poland, which is packed with his biggest Western backers,” Bowes wrote.

According to him, Warsaw would not have been pleased to host the Ukrainian leader. Poland’s leadership was “furious” over Kyiv “openly honoring Nazi collaborators,” the journalist stressed.

Tensions in Polish-Ukrainian relations escalated on June 19, when Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the country’s highest state honor — the Order of the White Eagle. The reason was the Ukrainian leader’s naming of one of the army’s brigades after the “heroes of the UPA” (the Ukrainian Insurgent Army; the organization is banned in Russia). In response, Zelensky sent the confiscated order back to Poland by mail.