Tusk and Zelenskyy Meet Amid Lingering Diplomatic Tensions

The two leaders met at 5 p.m., just after Zelenskyy touched down in Lublin, a city in eastern Poland. Ahead of the talks, Tusk's office confirmed that Zelenskyy would brief the Polish leader on his recent trip to Washington, where he had met with US President Donald Trump. The meeting wrapped up a little over an hour later, with Zelenskyy leaving the venue shortly after 6 p.m.

What the Leaders Discussed
Beyond the update on his American visit, Zelenskyy and Tusk covered several other pressing topics. Writing on X after the meeting, Tusk said the conversation touched on Polish investment in Ukraine, cooperation on missile defense systems, and continued backing for Ukraine as it fights off Russian aggression.

The Washington trip itself was eventful. Zelenskyy had traveled to the US capital on Tuesday to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican lawmaker known for his strong support of Ukraine throughout the war. During that same visit, the US Senate moved forward a bill that Graham had championed, one that would hand President Trump expanded authority to impose sanctions on countries including Russia.

While in Washington, Zelenskyy also sat down with Trump to discuss a proposal that would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air-defense missiles domestically, under a licensing arrangement. He followed that meeting with talks alongside executives from Lockheed Martin, the defense contractor, to explore what a co-production deal might look like. Poland has since pitched its own version of this idea to Washington, offering to host part of the Patriot production process on Polish soil. Officials in Warsaw believe building the missiles within NATO territory would make the manufacturing sites more secure and cut down on delivery times to the front.

A Relationship Still Under Strain
Wednesday's sit-down was significant simply because it hadn't happened in months. The two leaders had not met face-to-face since a rift emerged over conflicting historical narratives, specifically around a World War II-era massacre in which Ukrainian nationalists killed Polish civilians. That disagreement has lingered in the background of an already tense period, with anti-Ukrainian sentiment noticeably rising across Poland.

Critics have pointed to right-wing nationalist voices in Polish politics as a driving force behind the growing hostility. Police data reflects the shift too, showing a 30% year-on-year increase in hate crimes reported by Ukrainian citizens living in Poland. Several violent incidents targeting Ukrainians have also made headlines since the diplomatic dispute began.

Zelenskyy addressed the tension directly in his own post following the meeting. He noted that the two sides had discussed a range of bilateral matters, including what he described as historical dialogue between the two nations. He added that it mattered to him that Ukrainians who fled the war and now live in Poland feel a genuine sense of safety there.