Ukraine is set to propose to Poland that shared hero – General Bezruchko of Ukrainian People’s Republic – be inducted into National Pantheon, - media
Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, is travelling to Warsaw with a compromise package of proposals after the Verkhovna Rada passed a law on the Ukrainian National Pantheon on Wednesday, which sparked a new diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
The Polish publication Wirtualna Polska (WP) reports on this, according to Censor.NET.
A compromise on Ukraine’s part
According to the publication, during talks with government officials in Warsaw, Sybiha will focus on the figure of Marek Bezruczko — a general in the army of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, whose military career is closely linked to Poland’s independence.
In 1920, General Bezruchko, together with Polish military units, liberated Kyiv from the Red Army, and later successfully led the heroic defence of Zamość against the Soviet offensive.
The general is officially honoured in Poland: a square in Warsaw’s Wola district and a roundabout in Wrocław are now named in his honour.
Warsaw’s scepticism
At the same time, Polish officials fear that Sybiha's gesture may turn out to be a ploy and will offer no guarantee that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not resort to further escalation in relations with Poland, and that no figures likely to cause irritation in Poland will be nominated for the Pantheon.
For the time being, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s proposal is being viewed in Warsaw as a positive gesture which, however, does not guarantee any real, substantive changes.
The OP’s position: the law sets out a clear procedure
The Office of the President of Ukraine has commented on the WP article. In particular, the President’s adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, remarked: "Bezruchko is not a bad idea".
However, he emphasised that, under the law that has been passed, a special collegial body will be established to consider proposals, and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will vote by a majority on each individual candidate.
What led up to it?
- On 1 July, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law establishing the Ukrainian National Pantheon.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously tabled a bill on the matter in parliament. According to Mykyta Poturaiev, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, the Pantheon will be established in several stages, involving academics, the public, government bodies and the Ukrainian people.
- As previously reported by Censor.NET, the Verkhovna Rada backed the draft law on the Ukrainian National Pantheon. The decision was supported by 287 MPs.
