Ukraine hits back at Polish president over comments on 'premature' EU, NATO talks
Talks on Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU are strategically important in the context of Russian aggression and are not "premature," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Sept. 9 in response to Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
The ministry reacted to Nawrocki's interview with the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT, in which he said that a country cannot join NATO while at war and that "today's discussion about Ukraine's membership in the European Union is premature."
Tensions rose between Poland and Ukraine in recent months as the new Polish president took a harder stance toward Kyiv than his predecessor, Andrzej Duda.
While affirming support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and Polish military aid, Nawrocki has opposed fast-tracking Kyiv's accession to NATO and the EU.
"I believe that a country at war cannot join NATO, because that would mean that both Poland and Lithuania would be at war, so this discussion should be postponed," Nawrocki told the Lithuanian news outlet in an interview published on Sept. 8.
Speaking about Ukraine's EU bid, Nawrocki noted that accession talks last many years and a number of economic aspects must be taken into account. At the same time, the historian-turned-politician said Ukraine should be part of the "Latin or Western" civilization "in the future."
Responding to Nawrocki, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that "the future of Ukraine's security is inextricably linked to NATO, and its political and economic future to the European Union."
The ministry underscored that Kyiv's future membership in these alliances represents a security guarantee not only for Ukraine but also for the entire European and Euro-Atlantic community.
"We emphasize that this position has been affirmed both by NATO and the EU, as well as in numerous statements by leaders of partner countries, including Poland," the ministry said.
In the statement, Ukraine also thanked Poland for its role as a logistical hub for defense aid flowing to the war-torn country, as well as for direct military assistance and aid for Ukrainian refugees.
Ukraine applied for membership in NATO and the EU after the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 — a decision that requires a unanimous agreement of all members in both cases.
Kyiv was granted EU candidate status, but the opening of the first negotiations cluster has been blocked by Hungary, broadly seen as the most Kremlin-friendly government in the bloc.
While NATO declared last year that Ukraine's path toward membership is "irreversible," the alliance has yet to extend a formal invitation. Several members, including Hungary, Slovakia, and the U.S., have spoken out against Kyiv's entry.
