Address of the participants of the Ukrainian-Polish forum supported by the International Renaissance Foundation (Ukraine) and the Stefan Batory Foundation (Poland)
Relations between Ukraine and Poland are going through a crisis moment. Disagreements on trade issues have already led to a public clarification of the relations between the parties, including using the world’s highest tribunes. The crisis damaged the spirit of the strategic partnership. In the conditions of the brutal war started by Russia for the restoration of the empire, the solidarity of Ukraine and Poland acquires special importance.
After several weeks of escalating rhetoric, the political leaders of Ukraine and Poland appear to be close to realizing the damage caused by unilateral actions and ill-considered statements.
Lowering the degree of rhetoric and finding common ground continues: this is an important but insufficient condition for restoring trust and mutual understanding. It is necessary to learn lessons from the current crisis, which will help not only to avoid escalation in the future, but also to rationally adjust to future challenges related to both the end of the war and the successful European integration of Ukraine.
Ukraine and Poland should intensify the bilateral dialogue regarding the integration of Ukraine into the EU. Poland has always supported the European perspective for Ukraine, and it is important that this support remains stable in the conditions of the upcoming official negotiations on Ukraine’s accession.
Potential competitiveness in certain sectors of the economy of Ukraine and Poland cannot become an obstacle to Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The parties should start a stakeholder dialogue now, so that their expectations are not unexpected for the other party, and do not arise suddenly. Options for resolving bilateral trade disputes should be discussed in advance – before they can become the subject of consideration in European institutions during the negotiations on Ukraine’s accession.
At the same time, the dialogue should not be limited to economic and trade issues. In a close dialogue, Ukraine and Poland can come to common positions regarding the future reforms of the European Union, the vision of the future of Europe – and thereby fill the strategic partnership with new meanings.
We, the participants of the permanent Ukrainian-Polish Forum, based on our own many years of experience in moderating the bilateral dialogue of politicians, intellectuals and civil society, are ready to contribute to raising this dialogue to a new level – directing it both to the goal of ensuring solidarity with Ukraine in the conditions of Russian aggression, and to successful movement towards the membership of Ukraine in the EU.
To sign from the Ukrainian side:
- Oleksandr Sushko, executive director of the International Renaissance Foundation
- Yevhen Bystrytskyi, leading researcher, Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences
- Ihor Burakovsky, Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Economic Research and Political Consultations
- Hlib Vyshlinskyi, executive director of the Center for Economic Strategy
- Alyona Hetmanchuk, director of the NGO Center “New Europe”
- Evgeny Hlibovytskyi, director of the analytical center pro.mova
- Mykhailo Gonchar, president of the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI”, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Black Sea Security”
- Yaroslav Hrytsak, professor of the Ukrainian Catholic University
- Andrii Deshchytsia, Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland (2014-2022)
- Taras Dobko, rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University
- Volodymyr Yermolenko, philosopher, chairman of the board of the International Renaissance Foundation, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld.org
- Yevhen Zakharov, chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union for Human Rights, director of the Kharkiv human rights group.
- Yosif Zisels, executive co-president of Vaad of Ukraine, member of the “First of December” Initiative Group
- Pavlo Klimkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2014-2019)
- Oksana Kolyada, Chairman of the board of “Space of Opportunities”, coordinator of the Coalition of Veteran Spaces of Ukraine
- Hennadiy Maksak, executive director of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”
- Myroslav Marynovych, vice-rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, member of the “First of December” Initiative Group
- Yurii Panchenko, editor and co-founder of European Truth
- Serhiy Prytula, volunteer, founder of the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation
- Iryna Sushko, executive director of the NGO “Europe without barriers”
- Oksana Yurynets, professor of the Lviv Polytechnic National University, head of the NGO “European Cooperation Agency”
- Ihor Yukhnovsky, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, People’s Deputy of Ukraine (1990 – 2006), member of the “First of December” Initiative Group
- Yaroslav Yatskiv, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, president of the Ukrainian Astronomical Association, member of the “First of December” Initiative Group
To sign from the Polish side:
- Edwin Bendyk, President of the Stefan Batory Foundation, Warsaw
- Bohumila Berdykhovska, “Więź” quarterly, Warsaw
- Martyna Bogachyk, president of the “Education for Democracy” Foundation, Warsaw
- Michal Bony, SWPS University, Warsaw
- Agnieszka Brytz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń
- Anna Dombrovska, Homo Faber association, Lublin
- Maciej Duszczyk, professor at the University of Warsaw, Warsaw
- Krzysztof Izdebski, Stefan Batory Foundation, Warsaw
- Marek Zyulkowski, former ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Kyiv and to NATO, Warsaw
- Myroslava Keryk, president of the “Ukrainian House” Foundation, Warsaw
- Joanna Koniechna-Salamatin, professor of the University of Warsaw, Faculty of Sociology
- Marcin Korolec, president of the Institute of Green Economy, Warsaw
- Agnieszka Kosowicz, president of the Polish Migration Forum Foundation, Warsaw
- Jaroslav Kuiš, editor-in-chief of “Kultura Liberalna”, Warsaw
- Piotr Lukasiewicz, former ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Afghanistan, colonel of the reserve of the Polish Army, Warsaw
- Grzegorz Motyka, professor, Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
- Slawomir Sierakowski, “Krytyka Polityczna”, Warsaw
- Evgenius Smolyar, Center for International Relations, Warsaw
- Krzysztof Stanowski, director of the International Cooperation Center of the City Hall of Lublin, Lublin
- Tomasz Stryek, Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Collegium Civitas, Warsaw
- Izabella Khruslinska, “Przegląd Polityczny”, Gdańsk
