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Polish foreign minister comments on conflict with Zelenskyy over Volyn Tragedy victims

Thursday, 3 October 2024, 12:21
Polish foreign minister comments on conflict with Zelenskyy over Volyn Tragedy victims
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski in Kyiv. Photo: website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has commented on a conflict that arose between him and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting in September, which was previously reported by the media.  

Source: European Pravda, citing Sikorski on Polskie Radio

Details: Sikorski noted that there is a national consensus in Poland regarding the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy. He added that the exhumation is being sought, in particular, by Polish President Andrzej Duda, as well as Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Szymon Hołownia, Marshal (Speaker) of the Polish Sejm (the lower house of the Polish parliament). [The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.]

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The radio station's journalist reminded Sikorski that Ukraine has not agreed to the exhumation of Polish victims, but did permit the exhumation of Wehrmacht soldiers killed in the area during World War II.

Sikorski said he had received assurances during the talks in Kyiv that the issue of exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy would be resolved.  

The journalist asked whether the meeting between Sikorski and Zelenskyy in Kyiv had really resulted in a conflict, as reported in the media, to which Sikorski responded: "I can really put the issue to rest. We will see by their actions."

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When asked directly if there was a conflict, Sikorski again replied that they would see by Ukraine’s actions.  

Read more: The reason for the conflict with the Polish foreign minister in Kyiv and why it's no coincidence 

Background: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke about the meetings in Poland and promised to resolve the "toxic" issue of exhumations.

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