What's happened
Poland and Ukraine are locked in a bitter clash over how to portray the Ukrainian Insurgent Army’s role in World War II, following Kyiv’s decision to honour UPA figures and Warsaw’s move to strip Zelensky of a Polish award. The row has sparked tensions ahead of Ukraine’s EU prospects and tested cross-border solidarity.
What's behind the headline?
Key dynamics
- The dispute is being driven by nationalist narratives in both capitals, with memory politics shaping policy priorities.
- Zelensky’s actions are seen by Warsaw as a challenge to Polish suffering and national memory; Kyiv argues for a broader Ukrainian nationalist history tied to independence.
- The row risks complicating Ukraine’s EU accession path at a time when unity with Poland matters for Western support against Russia.
Potential consequences
- If tensions persist, Poland could condition its support for Ukraine’s EU bid on a clearer historical official stance from Kyiv.
- Reactions from other European partners will influence whether this becomes a broader European memory-politics issue or stays bilateral.
What readers should watch
- Any new statements from Polish or Ukrainian leaders on historical commemoration and potential concessions.
- Developments around Poland’s domestic politics that could amplify or dampen the row.
How we got here
The dispute centers on the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), blamed for the Volhynia massacre of about 100,000 Poles in 1943-45. Poland has long viewed the killings as genocide, while Ukraine minimizes or contextualizes UPA actions. Kyiv’s decision to name a military unit after “heroes of the UPA” triggered a political backlash in Poland, including Zelensky’s Polish state award revocation and reciprocal moves from Ukraine.
Our analysis
The Guardian reports on President Nawrocki’s removal of Zelensky’s state award and Kyiv’s counter-moves; BBC Business covers Tusk urging truth and reconciliation; The Times of Israel and Times of Israel provide additional context on ceremonies and memorials. Direct quotes from officials illustrate the sharp rhetoric on memory and sovereignty.
Go deeper
- Is Poland set to link EU support for Ukraine to a historical agreement?
- What concrete steps might Kyiv take to ease tensions without compromising memory arguments?
- Will European partners intervene to mediate or steer the narrative?
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Donald Tusk - Former President of the European Council
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician who was President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He served as the 14th prime minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014 and was a co-founder and chairman of the Civic Platform political party.
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Ukrainian Insurgent Army - Paramilitary wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists
The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainian: Українська повстанська армія, УПА, romanized: Ukrainska Povstanska Armiia, abbreviated UPA) was a Ukrainian nationalist partisan formation founded by the Banderite faction of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) on 14 October 1942, existing until the 1950s. The UPA launched guerrilla warfare against the Soviet Union, the Polish people (both the Polish Underground State resistance and Soviet-backed forces as well as against civilians), and against Nazi Germany, though in so doing initially motivated by anti-German ethnic exclusionary sentiment, and ultimately entering collaboration with the Germans on common totalitarian ideological grounds by late 1944. The UPA carried out massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, which are recognized by Poland as a genocide. The goal of the OUN was to establish an independent Ukrainian state. This goal, according to the OUN founding declaration, "was to be achieved by a national revolution led by a dictatorship" that would drive out occupying powers and then establish a "government representing all regions and social groups"; OUN accepted violence as a political tool against enemies of...
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Poland - Country in Europe
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres, and has a largely temperate seasonal climate.