Ukraine recovery conference opens in Poland without Zelenskyy amid diplomatic row

GDAŃSK — A Ukraine recovery conference opened this week under the shadow of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision not to attend. Instead, Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko led the delegation.

Diplomatic Dispute

The run-up to the convention was marred by a diplomatic spat between the Ukrainian and Polish presidents, triggered by Zelenskyy's decision to name a Ukrainian military unit "Heroes of the UPA."

Karol Nawrocki, Poland's president and a domestic rival of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, responded by revoking Zelenskyy's Order of the White Eagle — Poland's highest state honor. Zelenskyy returned the award, and several current and former Ukrainian officials followed by handing back Polish state decorations.

Conference Opening

Opening the conference on Thursday, Tusk did not refer to Zelenskyy's absence. Instead, he leaned heavily on the historic symbolism of his hometown of Gdańsk, a city that was razed during the Second World War, rebuilt from rubble, and later became the birthplace of the Solidarity movement that brought down Communist Poland.

"We can build the future only on truth, on mutual respect, on an understanding of history," said Tusk.

Svyrydenko sought to ease tensions, thanking Poland for its support. "Standing here, I want to say thank you to the people of Poland," she said, drawing loud applause from a dimly lit conference hall.

EU Support and Ukraine's Path Forward

In her speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that a first tranche of the EU's €90 billion Ukraine loan is bound for Kyiv.

After last week's opening of accession negotiations for EU membership, Ukraine's European prospects have faced a rude awakening, with Budapest and other capitals signalling reluctance to move ahead too quickly. Still, von der Leyen said on Thursday that Ukraine's accession would remain "merit-based." She affirmed that the embattled nation's place in the European family was "becoming a reality," provided domestic reforms continue.

Calls for Peace

António Costa, who last week came under fire for opening a direct communications channel with the Kremlin, told the gathering of Polish, Ukrainian, and European diplomats and business executives that peace must be defined by Ukraine. "Only Ukrainians can talk on behalf of Ukraine," the European Council president said.

"Today we are conveying a clear message to Russia," said Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor. "The time has come to enter into negotiations to freeze the front line and to end the killing."

CORRECTION: This article has been updated with the correct numbers of the Ukraine loan.