On 28 July, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Olexandr Mischenko met with Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine Piotr Łukasiewicz.
The diplomats reviewed the current state of Ukrainian-Polish relations and discussed prospects for further strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide range of areas.
Olexandr Mischenko underscored Poland's special role as one of Ukraine's closest allies and strategic partners, expressing sincere gratitude for the unprecedented political, military, humanitarian and economic assistance that Poland has provided to Ukraine and its people since the outset of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The Deputy Minister also raised concerns over the increasing number of reported cases of aggression, physical violence, intimidation, threats, property damage and other unlawful acts targeting Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland.
At the same time, he expressed appreciation to the Polish authorities at both the national and local levels, including the municipal authorities of Wrocław, as well as to Polish law enforcement agencies, for their prompt and comprehensive response to hate-motivated incidents, thorough investigations, and efforts to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
Olexandr Mischenko also welcomed recent statements by Poland's political leaders reaffirming the strategic nature of Ukrainian-Polish relations and calling for restraint from hate speech, emphasizing that such rhetoric can only undermine the friendship and partnership between the two nations.
The Deputy Minister stressed that, while Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russia's ongoing armed aggression, any manifestations of xenophobia, intolerance or discrimination against Ukrainian citizens objectively serve the interests of the aggressor state and its attempts to drive a wedge between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples. He emphasized that preserving unity, mutual trust and close cooperation between Ukraine and Poland remains essential to countering Russia's destabilizing efforts.
The parties also discussed preparations for political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Poland, which are expected to take place soon. These consultations will provide an opportunity to coordinate the schedule of upcoming bilateral meetings, negotiations and cooperation in the economic, defence, historical and other fields.
Addressing sensitive issues related to the shared history of the two nations, the diplomats agreed that the Ukrainian-Polish Congress of Historians, held in Poland on 6–8 May, had become an important platform for fostering dialogue and mutual understanding.
In this context, Olexandr Mischenko reiterated Ukraine's proposal to continue the dialogue between historians through a dedicated meeting focusing on the tragic episodes of the common past, including those related to the Volyn tragedy.
The Deputy Minister reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to constructive cooperation within the framework of the Working Group on Historical Issues operating under the auspices of the Ministries of Culture of the two countries. He also confirmed Ukraine's readiness to issue additional permits for search and exhumation work on its territory, while expressing the expectation that the Polish side would ensure reciprocal conditions for similar activities in Poland.
Olexandr Mischenko further reaffirmed Ukraine's readiness to open the archives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine relating to the tragic events in Volyn during the twentieth century, creating new opportunities for joint historical research by scholars from both countries.
The Ukrainian side also welcomed further expansion of contacts between youth organisations, deeper cooperation between universities and research institutions, and broader people-to-people exchanges. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further developing Ukrainian-Polish relations on the basis of mutual respect, mutual benefit and shared strategic interests.