The Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on Warsaw’s reaction to the naming of a Ukrainian unit after UPA heroes.
Heorhii Tykhyi / © Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has expressed regret over Poland’s sharp reaction to one of our military units being named after UPA heroes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that the Ukrainian soldiers did not intend to offend Poles in any way.
This was stated by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhii Tykhyi, in response to journalists, TSN.ua reports.
Scandal between Poland and Ukraine – what is the MFA’s position
The diplomat noted that Warsaw’s reaction contradicts the positive development of relations over the past year and a half. During this time, the countries began to resume the search and exhumation of burials, and also created a Congress of Historians to resolve complex issues.
“The discussion about the past must be professional and based on reliable sources. Our history confirms that only Moscow benefits from disputes between Ukrainians and Poles,” he noted.
Heorhii Tykhyi explained the motivation of the Ukrainian servicemen who are currently defending all of Europe from Russian aggression and emphasized the meaning they attach to the symbolism of the past.
“By initiating the assignment of an honorary title to their unit, our warriors certainly did not aim to offend the friendly Polish people. For them, the UPA struggle symbolizes exclusively the opposition to Moscow’s imperial policy and is in no way directed against Poles,” he stated.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded that Ukraine and Poland have different pages in their history. During World War II, there were tragedies and crimes against civilians on both sides. At the same time, Ukrainians and Poles also have examples of successful joint struggle against Moscow – for instance, the Battle of Orsha, the “Miracle on the Vistula,” or the joint attack by insurgents on the Soviet NKVD in Hrubieszów.
Heorhii Tykhyi assured that Ukraine is constructively responding to Polish requests regarding exhumations and is ready to continue building dialogue without unnecessary emotions.
“We cannot allow quarrels over the past to undermine our resistance to the common enemy now, when Ukraine, with Poland’s support, is holding back Russian aggression. We are grateful to Poland and the Polish people, who have supported Ukraine from the first minutes of this unprovoked and criminal war,” the MFA representative concluded.
Scandal between Poland and Ukraine – latest news
We remind you that in Poland, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to name an elite unit of the Special Operations Forces in honor of the UPA Heroes caused outrage. In particular, the Ukrainian president is being urged to be stripped of the highest Polish state award.
Later, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted on social media X to the scandal over naming an elite unit of the Ukrainian SSO after UPA Heroes. He called on the presidents of Ukraine and Poland not to quarrel over history, as a third party benefits from such disputes.
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