Head of Poland’s Defense Ministry Kosiniak-Kamysz addresses Ukraine: glorification of Ukrainian Insurgent Army sparks protest and deep pain
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Poland, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, has delivered a video address to the Ukrainian people. He called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reconsider the decision to grant one of the Special Operations Forces units the honorary title "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA)."
He published the address on X, Censor.NET reports.
The head of Poland's defense ministry stressed that the emergence of a unit with such a name causes "deep pain, concern and protest" in Polish society. According to him, the state glorification of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army is absolutely unacceptable for Poles.
"For us, Poles, this decision is unacceptable. It causes deep pain, anxiety, and opposition. Ukraine today is fighting to defend its state, as well as the security of Poland and all of Europe. We must build the future by valuing the heroism of those who are fighting today," the minister said.
Differences in the perception of history and modern heroes
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Warsaw understands the context in which Ukrainians view the UIA, as a symbol of the struggle against Soviet totalitarian oppression and a source of courage during the current repelling of Russian imperialism. However, for Poland, this page of history is tragic.
The minister recalled that in 1943-1945, tens of thousands of defenseless Polish civilians fell victim to the actions of the UPA, while entire villages and families were wiped out.
"This pain cannot be erased. Genocide remains genocide. The memory of the victims cannot be the subject of political compromise. I call on the Ukrainian authorities to reconsider this decision and find a way to honor modern Ukrainian soldiers that will not harm the memory of Polish victims," the head of the Ministry of National Defence stressed.
He added that modern Ukraine already has a new generation of true heroes, the soldiers who are defending Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donbas, and the Ukrainian sky with weapons in hand right now. Therefore, reversing the controversial name would not be a humiliation for Kyiv, but "a gesture of maturity, responsibility and respect."
At the same time, Kosiniak-Kamysz assured that Poland remains firmly on Ukraine's side in the war against Russia and recalled the military, logistical, and humanitarian assistance provided since the first days of the invasion.
The scandal over the unit named after the Heroes of the UIA
- The escalation in Ukrainian-Polish relations broke out after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on May 26 granting the Separate Special Operations Center "North" of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine's Armed Forces the honorary title "named after the Heroes of the UIA." The text of the document stated that the decision was made to "restore the historical traditions of the national army."
- Former Polish President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa demonstratively removed a badge with the Ukrainian flag, which he had constantly worn, in protest and accused Zelenskyy of "honoring UIA bandits," which, he said, "insulted him personally and all murdered Poles."
- Former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki officially returned the Order of Merit awarded to him by Zelenskyy in 2022 over the same decision.
- Head of the International Policy Bureau at the Polish president's office, Marcin Przydacz, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy should personally call his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki and formally apologize for giving the SOF unit the name "Heroes of the UIA."
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that for the Ukrainian military, "the UPA's struggle symbolizes resistance to Moscow's imperial policy and is in no way directed against Poles."
