Poland does not need outside mediators to help resolve its worsening diplomatic dispute with Ukraine, government spokesperson Adam Szłapka said on Tuesday, June 24. According to Polish outlet TVP World, Szłapka acknowledged that relations between Warsaw and Kyiv have become more strained but said both countries should work directly to reduce tensions.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “I think we do not need any intermediaries in Poland’s relations with Ukraine,” Szłapka said. “I think it’s in the interest of Poland and Ukraine to de-escalate this dispute. We have a lot to do together.” The latest dispute stems from disagreements over historical issues related to the World War II-era killings of Poles by Ukrainian nationalist groups, a subject that has long strained relations between the two neighboring countries. Diplomatic tensions escalate Relations deteriorated further last week after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, previously awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2023. Nawrocki said the move was prompted by Zelensky’s decision to name a Ukrainian special forces unit after a nationalist group that Poland links to the World War II massacres of Polish civilians. Poland classifies the killings as genocide, while Ukraine views the events as part of a broader struggle for national independence, during a period when Ukrainian territories were divided between Poland and the Soviet Union.