WARSAW, May 28 - Five ex-presidents from Poland and Ukraine have issued a joint appeal for reconciliation between their countries amid growing nationalism and provocations from Russia that have strained their relations, RFE/RL reported.

The ex-presidents expressed concerned about the strains, saying that unity is now needed given "the challenge of Russian aggression to Ukraine."

The appeal was presented at a May 28 news conference in Warsaw by the two former Polish presidents, Aleksander Kwasniewski and Bronislaw Komorowski.