Kyrylo Budanov, the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Office, has accused Poland of preparing to escalate tensions with Kyiv on July 11 – the anniversary of the Volhynia Bloody Sunday massacres – and compared Poland to Russia. His remarks mark another chapter in what many in Poland see as Kyiv’s scandalous attitude toward its neighbor. “The former head of Ukrainian military intelligence, now the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, is using the language of relations with an enemy when commenting on ties with Poland,” wrote one of the leaders of the Confederation, Krzysztof Bosak, on X.
Budanov Targets Poland
In recent months, Polish-Ukrainian relations have become increasingly strained over historical issues, including the commemoration of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and figures associated with it. The dispute intensified after President Volodymyr Zelensky decided at the end of May to name a Ukrainian military unit after the Heroes of the UPA.
The decision was widely criticized in Poland. Among those who condemned it were Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On June 19, President Karol Nawrocki announced that he had decided to revoke Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle. The following day, Zelensky returned the decoration to Warsaw via a courier service.
According to Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, tensions between Poland and Ukraine will soon reach their peak, with the most difficult phase of bilateral relations still ahead.
“That peak will certainly come soon. There is no great secret about it – July 11 marks the anniversary of the Volhynia tragedy. Based on the information I have, they (the Polish side) are preparing a whole series – I repeat – of actions aimed at escalating the situation, so apparently all of this will now continue,” Budanov said in an interview with the Ukrainian news outlet RBK-Ukraine.
“Ukraine will not accept ultimatums from anyone in the world. Most recently, it was Russia that tried to issue us an ultimatum – no offense to Poland, but Russia is somewhat more powerful than Poland – and we still did not accept it. Yes, things are difficult, they are bad, and there is a great deal of bloodshed. But we did not accept their ultimatum. So why would anyone think we would accept something else coming from another direction? One should not speak to us in the language of ultimatums,” the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine stressed.
Budanov also emphasized that Ukraine does not intend to act hastily or make mistakes. However, according to RBK-Ukraine, he warned that “every manifestation of unfriendly policy will be met with a response.”
“If we believe someone is taking immature actions, why should we respond by making mistakes ourselves in advance? Let them make the first move – then we will consider our response and react accordingly. No one intends to sit idly by,” he said.