Poland has challenged the narrow European format emerging around Ukraine diplomacy after Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Warsaw must be included in discussions on any future settlement to Russia’s war.
Tusk’s remarks followed a meeting in London between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The leaders discussed pressure on Russia, Ukraine’s air defence needs and preparations for wider diplomatic engagement, but Poland was not present.
Speaking on Tuesday, Tusk said Poland should be involved in Ukraine talks and criticised the exclusion of Warsaw and Rome from the so-called E3 format of Britain, France and Germany. According to Reuters, he said Poland’s role in supporting Ukraine and its position on NATO’s eastern flank made it difficult to justify any negotiating structure that left Warsaw outside the room.
The dispute is not only about diplomatic protocol. Poland has been one of Ukraine’s most important European partners since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has served as a military, humanitarian and logistical hub for support moving into Ukraine, hosted large numbers of Ukrainian refugees, and placed itself among the NATO states most exposed to the consequences of the war.
That position gives Warsaw a direct stake in any ceasefire, security guarantee or post-war arrangement. A diplomatic format dominated by London, Paris and Berlin risks being seen in Poland as a return to decision-making by larger Western European capitals on matters that carry immediate consequences for countries closer to Russia and Belarus.
The London meeting was presented by Kyiv and its partners as part of continued co-ordination ahead of international discussions on the war. Zelenskyy used the visit to underline Ukraine’s urgent need to expand air defences and strengthen long-range capabilities following another period of heavy Russian missile and drone attacks. The London talks also focused on maintaining pressure on Moscow and preparing the ground for possible diplomatic initiatives linked to the G7 and NATO.
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For Poland, however, the composition of the talks matters because it may shape who defines Europe’s position before any direct engagement with Russia or the United States. Tusk has previously insisted that Ukraine must remain central to any peace process. His latest intervention adds a second condition: that European countries bearing the immediate strategic burden should not be excluded from the process.
The issue is made more sensitive by Poland’s high level of defence spending and its proximity to the conflict zone. Warsaw has repeatedly argued that eastern-flank states understand the military and political risks of Russian pressure more directly than countries farther west. Poland also borders Ukraine, Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, making it central to NATO’s territorial defence planning.
The disagreement also reflects a broader question inside Europe: whether Ukraine diplomacy should be led by a small group of larger powers or widened to include those most directly affected by the war. Britain, France and Germany bring diplomatic weight, military resources and permanent or major roles in European security. Poland, Italy and other states can argue that legitimacy and practical implementation require a broader format.
Tusk’s criticism comes at a time when European governments are trying to maintain unity over Ukraine while adapting to a changing US role in diplomacy. Kyiv has been discussing possible new formats for peace efforts with Washington, while European capitals are seeking to avoid being marginalised in decisions that would affect continental security. A narrow European group may offer speed and coherence, but it also risks internal resentment if other major allies believe they are being treated as secondary actors.
Poland’s exclusion is particularly difficult to separate from domestic politics. Support for Ukraine remains strategically important in Warsaw, but relations with Kyiv have faced periodic strain over history, agriculture, trade and memory politics. On Monday, Tusk also called for calm and direct dialogue after a separate dispute over Ukraine’s naming of a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, an issue with deep historical sensitivity in Poland.
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Those tensions do not mean Poland is withdrawing from support for Ukraine. They do, however, make the political management of the relationship more complicated. If Warsaw is asked to carry practical burdens while being kept outside high-level diplomatic formats, Tusk’s government may face pressure to demand a more visible role.
The immediate impact may be a widening of consultations. Tusk indicated that Poland and Italy would be included in a further meeting with Britain, France and Germany on Ukraine. If that format develops, it could reduce the perception that Ukraine diplomacy is being controlled by a small Western European group.
For Kyiv, the issue is delicate. Ukraine needs rapid decisions from major European powers on air defence, weapons production and sanctions. It also needs to preserve the support of Poland, which remains critical to transport routes, military logistics and regional diplomacy.
