Poland establishes council for cooperation with Ukraine
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Poland has established a new Council for Cooperation with Ukraine, Pawel Kowal, Polish Commissioner for the Restoration of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP) on April 12.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a decree establishing the council, which will deal with bilateral Polish-Ukrainian relations and Ukraine's reconstruction.
While Poland has been a staunch ally to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, prolonged border blockades led by Polish farmers have led to deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Warsaw.
Kowal said that he would lead the new council, which will have different working groups and cooperate with Polish think tanks.
"It will be a public body that will include representatives of science, business, government and local authorities," Kowal said.
According to Kowal, Poland hopes to establish an entity "that will apply a more holistic approach to Polish-Ukrainian relations."
"We assume that they are unique, not only because of historical issues, but also because of Poland's participation in helping Ukraine, which is being defended, and Poland's role in the process of its recovery," he said.
Poland has donated some $3.2 billion in military aid and hosted around 1 million Ukrainian refugees since the outbreak of the full-scale war.
Disputes over agriculture policies have strained relationships between the neighboring countries in recent months, with Polish farmers and truckers staging protests and blocking border crossings.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk and other government officials on March 28 to discuss the blockades, military aid, and ongoing trade between Ukraine and Poland.
