Following President Karol Nawrocki’s speech commemorating the victims of the Volhynia Massacre, journalist Jacek Żakowski launched a surprising attack on the Polish head of state. Speaking on TVP Info in liquidation, the TOK FM commentator argued that “Polish nationalism” was one of the “root causes” of the Volhynia Massacre, spoke about “politicians driven by Putin,” and questioned the estimated number of victims, describing the figure of 120,000 murdered Poles as “astronomical numbers.”
On Saturday, the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, President Karol Nawrocki took part in commemorative ceremonies in Radruż. The event marked the National Day of Remembrance for Poles – Victims of the Genocide Committed by the OUN and the UPA.
“Thank you all for keeping the memory alive, for allowing it to shape our future. Today, memory and truth prevail. Ignorance about the missing undermines the reality of the world. These are the words of the poet Zbigniew Herbert. That is precisely why we are here – so that the reality of the modern world can be heard clearly. We do not accept forgetting the 120,000 Polish civilians, women, and children who were brutally murdered by Ukrainian nationalists. This knowledge, truth, and memory exist so that we can think about our future. They exist so that we can draw lessons from the Volhynia genocide for the future. We are here to ensure that ignorance about the missing does not undermine the reality of the world in the 21st century,” said President Nawrocki.
President Nawrocki and his advisers have repeatedly argued that, given the way Ukraine conducts its historical policy, Poland would not support Kyiv’s accession to either NATO or the European Union.
Żakowski Attacks the President. “Politicians Driven by Putin”
Jacek Żakowski of TOK FM commented on the Polish president’s speech and his criticism of Kyiv’s actions during an appearance on TVP Info in liquidation. His remarks quickly spread across social media and sparked strong reactions from internet users.
“Instead of talking about the past, the president talks about history. He says that 29, if I remember correctly, Poles and several Ukrainians were murdered there. He strongly condemns Ukrainian nationalism and strongly condemns German nationalism. Polish nationalism is not mentioned at all as a source of evil, even though it was one of the root causes of the Volhynia Massacre,” he said.
He continued:
“We must also realize that politicians driven by Putin – some consciously, others unconsciously – are presenting us with a vision of the past that is not consistent with history. The past was different from the stories being told.”
Żakowski then questioned the estimated number of Poles murdered during the Volhynia Massacre, referring to the commonly cited figure as “astronomical numbers.”
“It is very good that Donald Tusk came up with the idea of the Wall of Remembrance. Why? Because it will allow us to establish the real number of victims. Today we hear these astronomical figures – 120,000. Well, nothing indicates that such a number is accurate. There is no material evidence to support such a figure. Several tens of thousands is probably a more realistic estimate,” said Żakowski.
The TOK FM journalist did not stop there. He added:
“There is no place for Ukraine in the European Union because it has not come to terms with its history – but is there a place for Poland, which has also not come to terms with its own history?”