The decision by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to name a Ukrainian military unit after the “Heroes of the UPA” has sparked a sharp reaction in Poland. Former head of the National Security Bureau, Prof. Sławomir Cenckiewicz, assessed that this was a deliberate gesture aimed at Polish-Ukrainian relations, while also supporting President Karol Nawrocki’s proposal to strip the Ukrainian leader of the Order of the White Eagle. The historian also argues that Poland still lacks a coherent strategy toward Ukraine.
President Karol Nawrocki expressed outrage on Friday over Zelenskyy’s decision to name one of Ukraine’s special units after the “Heroes of the UPA.” During a press briefing, the President of Poland informed journalists that he had applied to the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle, which will convene on June 8, to strip the President of Ukraine of the decoration. At the same time, he emphasized that the final decision rests with him.
The Ukrainian president’s decision has been condemned across the Polish right. During yesterday’s press conference, candidate for prime minister Prof. Przemysław Czarnek recalled that since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, “we have shown great solidarity with our Ukrainian neighbors.”
Cenckiewicz: we have no strategy for Ukraine
Today on TV Republika, Prof. Sławomir Cenckiewicz, former head of the National Security Bureau, was asked whether “what is happening along the Warsaw-Kyiv line poses a real threat to Poland’s security.” He replied in the negative.
Nevertheless, he assessed that Zelenskyy’s decision to name a military unit after UPA heroes was a deliberate and conscious blow to relations with Poland.
“Poland will manage without Ukraine. Ukraine, in its current situation – at war and dependent on what Poland provides daily – I have seen that hub, so to speak, from behind the scenes – cannot manage without it. So this is more a matter of security in one direction than in both. At the same time, I would like to stress that these relations should be good, very good, because Ukraine’s importance for Poland’s security in the long term is very large – if not enormous. In other words, I want Poland to border the Republic of Ukraine, not the Russian Federation,” he said.
Asked about the purpose of Zelenskyy’s actions, he stated: “This is a certain wave that President Zelenskyy is yielding to. However, from my own experience I can say that claims that he is unaware of what the UPA was, that he does not understand the anti-Polish and genocidal aspects of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army’s activities, are simply fairy tales. I personally participated in talks with President Zelenskyy, and these issues were raised very strongly thanks to President Karol Nawrocki.”
He added that President Nawrocki had also provided Zelenskyy with Ukrainian-language literature on the genocide.
“This is neither a beginning nor even the middle. This is simply a long-standing policy of memory of the Ukrainian state. It does not concern only this president, but also previous presidents – including those who were friendly with Poland and sought alliance with it. I personally visited Lychakiv Cemetery; from another side, not the Polish one, there is a large mausoleum of UPA heroes. There are symbolic and real graves of commanders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. This symbolism related to the UPA, or more broadly Bandera’s OUN, is simply omnipresent. This is not any kind of breakthrough,” he continued.
In his view, “one must know what one wants from Ukraine. There must be a well-thought-out policy toward the East, especially Ukraine. We must also ask whether we have the strength and capability to shape Ukraine’s internal and external historical policy when we ourselves are unable to do so. We have no strategy for Ukraine. Everyone previously pretended the problem did not exist.”
He recalled his own experience as director of the Military Historical Bureau, when shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a deputy minister from the United Right government objected to commemorating Ukrainian crimes against Poles on social media, arguing that “it was inappropriate during wartime.”
“I’m sorry, but with such a policy we will achieve nothing,” he said.
Asked whether President Karol Nawrocki was right to seek stripping Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, he replied affirmatively:
“Yes – but only if there is a broader vision of Polish-Ukrainian relations.”
At the same time, he warned against double standards, recalling that after the Smolensk disaster Poland awarded numerous state decorations to representatives of the Russian Federation, which have never been returned or revoked.
He stressed that Poland must first organize its own policy toward Ukraine and not retreat on issues of historical memory.
“It cannot be anti-Polish by definition – and sometimes it is, or increasingly so. Another issue, which should serve as political leverage, is aid to Ukraine.”
In his opinion, calls to completely halt assistance to Ukraine constitute political pressure:
“Such statements are meant to push Ukraine to come to its senses. However, saying outright that all aid should be stopped, leading to Ukraine’s collapse and Russians in Lviv – I do not agree with that at all.”
He concluded by emphasizing that during meetings with Ukrainian officials, including the ambassador, he consistently raised the issue of historical policy:
“Do something about your policy of memory – allow our archaeologists and employees of the Institute of National Remembrance to work there.”