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Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz met with the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov, in Warsaw on Saturday, to discuss Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to name a military unit ‘Heroes of the UPA’.
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After the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote in a post on X that “Poland and Ukraine are partners when it comes to security. But when it comes to history, we must tell each other the truth”.
“Today, during a meeting with General Kyrylo Budanov, head of President Zelenskyy’s office, I clearly set out Poland’s expectations regarding the decision to name one of the military units after the UPA. The memory of the victims of Volhynia is not up for negotiation. There are boundaries that must not be crossed”, he wrote.
At the time of this article’s publishing, Kyiv had not issued a statement regarding the talks.
The series of meetings between Ukrainian and Polish politicians comes after a decision announced by President Karol Nawrocki where he declared his intention to strip the Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, Warsaw’s highest honour.
Nawrocki decided to take this step after Zelenskyy announced the new name, bestowed upon the Independent Special Operations Centre unit.
Zelenskyy says the move aims “to restore the historical traditions of the national army” and to recognise the unit for carrying out tasks during the defence of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.
The president of Ukraine received the Order of the White Eagle from former President Andrzej Duda in 2023 for his contribution to “deepening friendly and comprehensive relations between Warsaw and Kyiv”.
Duda honoured Zelenskyy for also boosting bilateral cooperation in support of democracy, peace and security in Europe, and for his steadfastness in “defending the inalienable human rights.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also commented on the issue on Friday, stating: “After that unfortunate move, namely the decision by the president of Ukraine to give the name of the UPA to a Ukrainian military unit, President Karol Nawrocki’s reaction was understandable”.
“I suggested to the Ukrainian side that it should look for a solution. It brought this problem upon itself,” said Tusk.
“I suggested to the Ukrainian side that they should take this crisis of trust seriously when it comes to historical emotions. The role of both political elites, Ukrainian and Polish, is to look after each other’s sensitivities,” he added.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha appealed to Poland for dialogue and stronger relations in response to the growing tensions.
“An escalation of tensions between Ukraine and Poland benefits neither Ukrainians nor Poles,” Sybiha underlined.
“For almost two years we have been gradually rebuilding constructive dialogue. We have unblocked searches and exhumations. With dignity and in line with Christian tradition, we have carried out reburials of victims in several places,” the Ukrainian minister added.
He also stressed that giving the unit the name “Heroes of the UPA” was initiated by Ukrainian soldiers, who “did not have even the slightest anti-Polish intentions”.
Kyiv requests talks
In the Polish capital, meetings between the head of President Zelenskyy’s office and members of the government have been continuing for another day.
On Friday, Budanov met Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki, which Warsaw says were arranged at Kyiv’s request.
Historical policy and disputes over the UPA regularly resurface in Polish-Ukrainian relations.
The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was an armed formation operating between 1942 and 1949.
Poland believes that the UPA is responsible for the genocide of the Polish population in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia between 1943 and 1945. According to estimates by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) and Polish historians, some 100,000 to 120,000 Poles were killed in UPA-affiliated operations.
Ukrainian historians and politicians see these events as part of a two-sided wartime conflict and dispute the classification of “genocide” used by Poland and confirmed in resolutions of the Polish Sejm and Senate.
In Ukrainian public opinion, the UPA is regarded as a group of heroic fighters for Ukraine’s independence, opposing all occupiers.
But despite recurring tensions over historical issues, Poland has been actively supporting Ukraine since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and continues to be one of Kyiv’s main allies in its efforts to repel and fend off Moscow’s forces.
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