Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has addressed the wave of outrage coming from Poland over the decision to name one of Ukraine’s military units after the “Heroes of the UPA.” Kyiv argues that the move was not directed against Poles. “This is regrettable, as it runs counter to the broader trend of resolving difficult issues in Ukrainian-Polish relations that we have observed over the past year and a half,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi stated.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bestowed the honorary name “Heroes of the UPA” on one of the country’s Armed Forces units. He explained that the decision was made “to restore the historical traditions of the national military and in recognition of the exemplary fulfillment of assigned tasks in defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.”
Zelenskyy’s decision triggered a wave of criticism in Poland. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described it as troubling, while Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called it unacceptable. Poland’s Foreign Ministry also expressed its disapproval, with Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski arguing that only Vladimir Putin would benefit from a Polish-Ukrainian dispute over historical issues.
Meanwhile, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated that Zelenskyy should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle.
“The glorification of the UPA is something that has provided Russian propaganda with a great deal of fuel for disinformation,”
the president said.
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Responding to questions on the matter, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry defended Kyiv’s position.
“We are witnessing a strong reaction in Poland to the decision to grant one of Ukraine’s military units a name commemorating the heroes of the UPA. This is regrettable, as it runs counter to the broader trend of resolving problematic issues in Ukrainian-Polish relations that we have observed over the past year and a half,”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi wrote in response to questions from Polish journalists.
He added that Ukraine and Poland have invested significant efforts in recent years to address difficult historical issues.
“In particular, the process of searches and exhumations has been resumed. For the first time in many years, the Congress of Historians has resumed its work. Discussions about the past should be substantive and based on reliable sources. Our history shows that only Moscow benefits from disputes between Ukrainians and Poles,”
Tykhyi emphasized.