Bite Zelenskyy, not Schröder: What is behind historical flare-up in Poland?. VIDEO
The scandal surrounding Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to name an elite unit of the Special Operations Forces after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UIA) is not just another historical dispute between Ukraine and Poland. It is an example of how the memory of the UIA, Volhynia, Ukrainian-Polish relations, and the issue of military symbolism can become a tool of political pressure.
As reported by Censor.NET, as part of the Uncensored project, Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolaieva examines why some Polish politicians and public commentators are demanding that Zelenskyy be punished, even to the point of being stripped of the Order of the White Eagle, while at the same time they do not raise the issue just as sharply when it comes to Gerhard Schröder, who for years was linked to the Russian gas business and Vladimir Putin.
The episode also separately discusses Benito Mussolini, the double standards of Polish politics, Ukraine’s dependence on Polish logistics during the war, and why historical issues can be used not only emotionally, but also economically.
The main question of the episode is whether the issue of the UIA, Volhynia, and historical memory will become a bargaining chip as Ukraine moves toward the European Union. After all, historical claims may be driven not only by memory and trauma, but also by competition for markets, agricultural exports, logistics, quotas, political influence and Ukraine’s future place in Europe.
Watch on Censor.NET.
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."
