Polish president Karol Nawrocki met his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara on 8/7, amid strained relations between the two countries over the World War II-era UPA resistance group.
The conflict erupted a few weeks ago when president Zelensky renamed a Ukrainian army unit "Heroes of UPA". UPA was a nationalist insurgent group during World War II, considered "heroes" by some Ukrainians.
This decision drew strong condemnation from Poland, as UPA is accused of participating in the Volhynia massacres between 1943 and 1945. Poland estimates that around 100,000 Poles were murdered by Ukrainian nationalist forces during this period. Thousands of Ukrainians also died in subsequent retaliatory attacks.
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Polish president Karol Nawrocki in Ankara, Turkey, on 8/7. *Photo: AP* |
While stating that one thing remains constant for both Ukraine and Poland, "Russia remains the main threat", Nawrocki admitted that he and his counterpart Zelensky "were unable to resolve historical issues".
"Because this issue is very important for Poles, we hope Ukraine understands that the Banderite flag will limit Ukraine's future in the EU", Nawrocki said.
The Banderite flag is a symbol associated with UPA during World War II, used to refer to followers of the ideology or movement of Stepan Bandera, an ultranationalist Ukrainian leader.
President Zelensky signed an application to join the EU in late 2/2022, days after Russia launched its invasion of the country. Ukraine's efforts to join the EU previously faced challenges due to the Hungarian government under prime minister Viktor Orban using its veto power.
The EU only resumed accession talks with Ukraine late last month, after Orban's electoral defeat. However, this process could be further delayed if Poland, an EU member state, objects.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Zelensky posted on social media platform X that both sides "agreed to continue dialogue".
Despite recent disagreements, Poland continues to serve as a transit hub for most military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The pro-European government of Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has repeatedly called for de-escalation of tensions in bilateral relations.
Ngoc Anh (According to AFP, AP)
