Poland to raise Volyn tragedy in first chapter of talks on Ukraine’s EU membership - Foreign Ministry
Poland plans to raise the issue of exhumations of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy in the first negotiations on EU-Ukraine membership.
This was stated by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, Censor.NET reports citing Polsat News.
"The first section of the negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU will be the rule of law and justice. As part of this, the issue of exhumations (of the victims of the Volyn tragedy- Ed.) will certainly be discussed," he explained.
"If this chapter is not closed, then Ukraine will not advance in the following chapters," Bartoszewski added.
According to the deputy foreign minister, the possibility of exhuming Polish victims and giving them a decent burial is "absolutely obvious in our culture".
"We are not blackmailing Ukraine, we are simply saying that they should behave according to European rules. We do not want revenge, we do not demand punishment, we just want a decent burial for our ancestors," Bartoszewski said.
Earlier, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh said that Ukraine would not join the European Union unless it resolves the Volyn issue. He also stressed that Warsaw should "give Kyiv an ultimatum" on the path of Ukraine's European integration.
At the same time, President Andrzej Duda said that Poland's historical problems with Ukraine should not be solved by "unceremonious blackmail"
