The dark past has once again spoiled the relations between Warsaw and Kyiv.
Polish President Karol Navrocki will seek to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest award due to his decision to name an elite unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces after the Heroes of the UPA, writes the Ukrainian portal korrespondent.net.
Recently, President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the honorary title "named after the Heroes of the UPA" to the Separate Special Operations Center "North" of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The president's decree states that this is done to restore the historical traditions of the national army and considering the exemplary performance of the assigned tasks during the defense of Ukraine's territorial integrity and independence. The Special Operations Forces of Ukraine recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. This decision by Zelensky has caused outrage in Poland, and a new scandal has ensued.
Reaction of the Poles
On Thursday, a meeting took place between Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki and Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar.
The Polish side clearly expressed its protest against Zelensky's decision and explained that it is painful for the Poles. The ambassador was also emphasized that this provokes anger in Poland and significantly alienates many Poles from Ukraine during this difficult military period.
The spokesperson for the Polish Foreign Ministry, Maciej Wewiór, wrote on social media X that Poland "unequivocally negatively" assesses the naming of the Ukrainian unit after the "Heroes of the UPA."
"This decision offends the memory of the victims of this organization and undermines the dialogue between our nations. It can be used by Russian propaganda, which seeks to divide us and undermine support for Ukraine, which is defending itself. We are raising this issue in conversations with our partners from Ukraine," he wrote.
The head of Poland's Ministry of Internal Affairs, Martin Kervinski, also commented on the matter. "This is a bad decision by the president," he stated.
Kervinski said he would not want Poland and Ukraine to go down this path.
"The fact that President Zelensky made a mistake is a fact; there is nothing to discuss here. He must understand the historical sensitivity of the Poles, especially considering that Poland is the country that helps Ukraine the most. However, we must constantly remember what is most important. The most important thing is victory over Russian imperialism," the minister emphasized.
Revoking the Order
Polish President Karol Navrocki will seek to strip Zelensky of Poland's highest award due to his decision to name an elite unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces after the Heroes of the UPA.
On April 5, 2023, then-President of Poland Andrzej Duda awarded him the Order of the White Eagle – the country's highest award – during Zelensky's visit to Warsaw. Now Karol Navrocki wants to strip the Ukrainian president of this award.
"On June 8, there will be a meeting of the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle. I proposed to include in the agenda the issue of revoking the order from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky," Navrocki stated.
He added that by naming the Ukrainian unit after the Heroes of the UPA, the President of Ukraine "provided Russian propaganda with excellent material and considerable fuel."
"I critically assess this decision," Karol Navrocki said.
Ukraine's Response
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine commented on the sharp reaction of Polish politicians and officials to Zelensky's decision to name the Ukrainian military unit "Heroes of the UPA."
A representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Georgiy Tikhiy, expressed regret that this scandal occurred "against the broader trend of resolving problematic issues in Ukrainian-Polish relations, which had been observed over the past year and a half."
He reminded that during this time, both sides made significant efforts "to resolve complex issues of historical past, establish dialogue and mutual understanding."
In this context, Tikhiy recalled the decision to resume the process of searching for and exhuming the victims of the Volhynian tragedy and the resumption of the Congress of Historians.
"The discussion about the past should be professional and based on reliable sources. Our history confirms that only Moscow benefits from the disputes between Ukrainians and Poles," emphasized the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
He assured that by initiating the awarding of an honorary title for their unit, the SSO fighters "certainly did not aim to offend the friendly Polish people."
"For them, the struggle of the UPA symbolizes exclusively opposition to Moscow's imperial policy – and is in no way directed against the Poles," Tikhiy added.
According to him, the history of the Ukrainian and Polish peoples "has different pages – both glorious and tragic."
"In previous eras, Ukrainians and Poles together achieved many glorious victories over the ancestral enemy in Moscow – from Orsha to the Miracle on the Vistula. At the same time, it is impossible to deny the tragic pages, including crimes against civilians committed by both Ukrainian and Polish military units during World War II," he pointed out.
Tikhiy noted that "Ukraine does not shy away from this conversation, constructively responds to requests from the Polish side regarding exhumations, gradually builds dialogue among historians and experts, and strives for dialogue on sensitive pages of the past without politicization."
"We cannot allow quarrels over the past to undermine our resistance to a common enemy now, when Ukraine, with the support of Poland, is holding back Russian aggression. We are grateful to Poland and the Polish people, who have supported Ukraine from the very first moments of this unprovoked and criminal war. For our part, we emphasize our readiness to continue sharing experiences and developments gained through blood on the battlefield," he concluded.
