The Foreign Ministry responded to the Polish presidential candidate's statement regarding Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine criticized the statement made by Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, who claimed that Ukraine should not be part of the EU or NATO until it resolves the issue with Poland regarding the Volhynian tragedy. The Ministry described these words as a manipulative statement that would please the Kremlin. This is mentioned in a comment from the Ministry on Facebook.   "We noted the comments of the head of the Institute of National Remembrance of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, in which the issues of Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO are conditioned on resolving matters of shared history. We reject these biased and manipulative statements. Such remarks indicate that the Polish politician prioritizes opportunistic reasoning over the strategic interests of his own country, good-neighborly Ukrainian-Polish relations, and the shared values of freedom, democracy, and justice," the Ministry stated.   They also reminded that a constructive dialogue continues between the Ukrainian and Polish authorities regarding historical matters. This work aims to honor the memory of Ukrainians in Poland and Poles in Ukraine appropriately.   The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Polish politicians not to exploit the topic of complex historical issues for internal political struggles.   "It is telling that Mr. Nawrocki's statements received applause in the Kremlin. It is worth recalling that Russia has been trying for centuries to destroy the Ukrainian and Polish states. Moscow is currently investing enormous resources in attempts to undermine Ukrainian-Polish friendship and mutual understanding. It is unacceptable to make statements that play into the hands of these enemy efforts," the Ministry emphasized.   The Ukrainian diplomatic office highlighted that Ukraine and Ukrainians have always been and remain deeply grateful to the Polish government and society for all the sincere and extensive assistance in countering Russian aggression. Thanks to this support, Ukraine defends not only itself but also our entire region and all of Europe from the aggressive and expansionist regime in Moscow.   The Ministry underlined that regardless of the statements made by the Polish politician, the reality is that Ukraine is already de facto and will become de jure part of the Euro-Atlantic family of nations and the overall European security architecture.   Additionally, on Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk referred to Karol Nawrocki's statements as "unwise and dangerous."   It is worth noting that the first round of presidential elections in Poland will take place on May 18, with the second round to be held on June 1 if necessary.