Ukraine and Poland continue to clash over Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to grant one of the units of Ukraine’s armed forces the honorary designation “Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).” Poland is outraged: there, Ukrainian nationalists are held responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of Poles during the Second World War. In Ukraine, UPA fighters are regarded as fighters for independence. Western media write that this conflict could become devastating.
Volodymyr Zelensky granted the honorary title to a unit of Ukraine’s armed forces in late May. As a result, Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip him of the Order of the White Eagle — Poland’s highest state honour, which the Ukrainian president had received in 2023.
In response, Zelensky said he had already returned the award to the Polish leader, while Ukrainian politicians, including former presidents Petro Poroshenko, Viktor Yushchenko and Leonid Kuchma, began renouncing other Polish state honours. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry threatened Warsaw with reciprocal measures in response to its “contempt for the Ukrainian soldier.”
The emerging disagreements triggered a serious diplomatic crisis between Ukraine and Poland. Kyiv initially tried to smooth over the conflict, but a visit to Warsaw by Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president’s office, did not help, Polish officials demanded that the reference to the UPA be removed from the military unit’s name, the Financial Times notes.
Donald Tusk is trying to reconcile the parties to the conflict. He believes the quarrel plays into Moscow’s hands
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a longtime supporter of Ukraine who has differences with the Polish nationalist camp, is the one trying to settle the conflict between Poland and Ukraine. Like Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Tusk has said that the quarrel plays into Moscow’s hands and undermines the unity of the West.
For now, Tusk has not said whether he will sign the decree stripping Zelensky of the award. He is seeking to reassure allies: “The task of Presidents Zelensky and Nawrocki is to calm emotions, not to inflame tensions. The front line lies elsewhere.”
Tusk stated that the conflict between Polish and Ukrainian politicians is “a strategic mistake that will harm both sides in terms of business, geopolitics and reputation.” “In talks with my European partners, I am striving to keep losses to a minimum and reduce tensions. This is no easy task,” he added.
Observers believe the conflict between the two countries could be devastating
In the fifth year of Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine, many countries of Eastern and Central Europe have drawn together out of fear of Moscow, but historical grievances persist between them, and the conflict over the UPA could prove devastating, writes The New York Times.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine and Poland made considerable efforts to smooth over their disagreements concerning the events of the Second World War. But Zelensky’s decree reignited the hostility. “Russia is now popping the champagne,” believes Aleksandra Iwaniuk, an assistant professor in the political science department at the University of Warsaw.
Donald Tusk is “perhaps the only adult in the room,” said Polish political commentator and writer Ziemowit Szczerek. According to him, great hopes are being placed on the Polish prime minister to smooth over the conflict. The fact that Tusk has turned out to be the only one in this dispute “behaving like an adult” is also noted by Bloomberg columnist Marc Champion.
Polish analysts believe the conflict benefits the right-wing opposition to Tusk’s party. The Polish far-right nationalist Sławomir Mentzen, who won 14% of the vote in the last presidential election, said he considered the Ukrainians’ move to return Polish awards to be the right one, but added: “It’s a pity we handed them out like sweets in the first place.” He said that “once they have returned all the awards, they can also return the money, weapons, ammunition and everything else we previously provided them.”
Warsaw is a key ally of Kyiv. Ukraine’s future depends on Poland
Ukraine’s survival in the current war depends almost entirely on Poland, believes Bloomberg columnist Marc Champion. And, according to him, this is not so much because Warsaw provides aid to Kyiv as because the only reliable transit route, through which, among other things, weapons are delivered, runs through Polish territory. Moreover, like any other EU member state, Poland has the right to veto Ukraine’s accession to the bloc.
Ukraine “should begin with a full reckoning over the ambiguous history of the UPA,” and gestures that could clearly alienate its most important ally are unacceptable, the Bloomberg columnist believes. “Zelensky needs to do everything possible to defuse this conflict,” he added.
The frictions that have emerged do not, according to The Washington Post, jeopardise the military alliance between Kyiv and Warsaw. Karol Nawrocki said that the decision to strip Zelensky of the award “does not mean a change in the strategic course of Polish security policy.” According to him, Poland will continue to support Ukraine, “because we know that Russian aggression poses a threat to the security of Poland and all of Europe.”
Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine and Poland can be “nothing other than partners and friends,” adding that political struggle could lead to “a very dangerous escalation.”
