Yeliseyev explained why quarrels with Poland could cost Ukraine dearly

Due to the recent disputes between Ukraine and Poland, Kyiv risks losing some of the people who have supported our state in Polish society for many years. Communication between the countries is also becoming increasingly difficult.

This is written by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine Kostyantyn Yeliseyev in the article “Ukraine and Poland: When the Important Begins to Overshadow the Main.”

According to the diplomat, the current tension in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw, which arose due to discussions around historical memory and awards, has created several serious challenges for both states.

One of them, Yeliseyev calls the situation of Ukraine’s friends in Poland. These are politicians, experts, public figures and other people who have supported Ukraine for years. Now, many of them find themselves in a difficult situation due to acute domestic political discussions.

“Many of those who have been sincere friends of Ukraine for years now find themselves in a toxic atmosphere of internal polemics, where any support for Kyiv can be used by their opponents as an argument against themselves,” the ambassador noted.

In his opinion, more and more Polish supporters of Ukraine are forced to think not only about supporting Kyiv, but also about how such a position will affect their reputation within the country.

The diplomat called communication another problem. According to him, Ukraine is gradually losing people who could explain the Ukrainian position to Polish society and help maintain mutual trust.

Yeliseyev emphasized that difficult periods in relations between countries are overcome not only through official negotiations. Personal contacts and trust between people play a big role, who are able to continue the dialogue even when the parties’ positions do not coincide.

That is why, the diplomat believes, Ukraine should work now to expand the circle of such contacts, look for new interlocutors in Poland, and create additional platforms for dialogue. One of the options, he said, is the emergence of a special representative who would support Ukrainian-Polish communication during a difficult period for relations.

It was previously reported that 90% of Ukrainians support a constructive approach to resolving historical disputes with Poland : the majority believe that each nation can have its own heroes, and a third hope for a common view of historians.

Recall that Petro Poroshenko named the steps necessary to resolve the Ukrainian-Polish crisis . He emphasized that the challenges facing Ukraine require a healthy, mature, professional, statesmanlike approach.