Zelenskyy not attending Ukraine reconstruction summit amid tension with Poland

A conference on Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, hosted by Poland, began under the shadow of diplomatic tension between the two countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not attending the summit, with Kyiv represented by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Scraper SystemJune 25, 2026, 02:51 PM

Zelenskyy not attending Ukraine reconstruction summit amid tension with Poland

A major conference on Ukraine's post-war reconstruction has begun in Poland. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided not to attend the summit due to a diplomatic dispute with allied Warsaw.

Kyiv, which needs hundreds of billions of dollars to repair the damage caused by Russia's invasion, is seeking to increase international investment support. Leaders from Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Sweden, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, gathered at the summit in Gdansk.

This year, the Kyiv delegation, previously led by Zelenskyy, is headed by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. According to a joint report by Ukraine, the World Bank, the UN and the EU in February, the cost of reconstruction is estimated at around $588 billion.

Energy and security-focused agreements

Svyrydenko said her country plans to "sign a series of important agreements with international partners, particularly to strengthen the energy sector." In addition to energy, critical infrastructure and logistics, the talks will for the first time also focus on Ukraine's security capabilities.

The EU approved a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine in December, most of which was allocated to defense. Glib Vyshlinsky, director of the Economic Strategy Center in Kyiv, said, "Without reconstruction in the process, it will be impossible for Ukraine to defend the country."

Tension dating back to World War II

Zelenskyy's decision not to attend the summit came after nationalist Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked a state decoration awarded to the Ukrainian leader. Nawrocki reacted to Zelenskyy naming a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which was involved in the killing of Polish civilians during World War II.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk tried to distance himself from the nationalist president, saying, "I hope this event will be a step forward or a way to calm the emotional escalation." Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said Kyiv did not want this dispute to overshadow the summit and desired to "avoid unnecessary politicization" in order to "focus on pragmatism and concrete decisions in Ukraine's favor."

Zelenskyy not attending Ukraine reconstruction summit amid tension with Poland