Polish presidential candidate stages provocation in Lviv and threatens to ban Lviv mayor from Poland – photo, video
Sławomir Mentzen, an anti-Ukrainian presidential candidate from Poland’s Confederation (Konfederacja) party, has visited Lviv and recorded a provocative video which he posted on social media.
Source: Sławomir Mentzen and Andrii Sadovyi, Mayor of Lviv, on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda
Details: Mentzen visited Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. He was accompanied by Anna Bryłka, a Confederation party MEP who recently said Poland should have a "guarantee of repayment" from Ukraine for the aid received.
The Polish politicians recorded a video in front of the monument to Stepan Bandera, whom Mentzen described as "a terrorist who was sentenced to death by a Polish court for killing Poles during the Second Polish Republic". [Stepan Bandera was a Ukrainian nationalist leader and a key figure in the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), advocating for Ukraine’s independence during the 20th century. His legacy remains highly controversial, as he is viewed as a hero by many Ukrainians for his fight against Soviet and Nazi occupation, while others criticize his movement’s tactics and associations – ed.]
Quote from Mentzen: "Then he founded the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists, which was responsible for the massacres in Volyn. This man's people killed 100,000 Poles."
Ukraińcy dalej czczą zbrodniarzy odpowiedzialnych za zabicie 100 tysięcy Polaków! pic.twitter.com/q3Sqa6F2Io
— Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) February 25, 2025
Details: Bryłka added that a monument to Bandera in Ukraine is like building monuments to Hitler in Germany.
Mentzen also visited the Eaglets Cemetery in Lviv, where he laid flowers. [The Lviv Eaglets were young Polish soldiers, many of them teenagers, who defended Lviv during the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918–1919) and later against the Bolsheviks in the Polish-Soviet war (1919-1920). They are buried in the Cemetery of the Defenders of Lviv, which honours those who fought for Poland in these conflicts – ed.]
Będąc we Lwowie wraz z @annabrylka złożyliśmy kwiaty na Cmentarzu Orląt Lwowskich.
— Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) February 25, 2025
Jako Prezydent RP zrobię wszystko, żeby nie musiały powstawać żadne nowe polskie cmentarze wojskowe. Nie pozwolę na wysłanie polskich żołnierzy na Ukrainę! pic.twitter.com/P1fYk9Ce5T
Quote: "As President of the Republic of Poland, I will do everything I can to ensure that there will be no more Polish military cemeteries. I will not allow Polish soldiers to be sent to Ukraine!"
Details: The mayor of Lviv, Andrii Sadovyi, responded robustly to the Polish politicians’ actions, calling Mentzen a "pro-Russian politician with a Polish passport". Sadovyi tweeted that Mentzen should show courage and film a video next to the entrance sign to Donetsk.
Quote from Sadovyi: "He can go to the front line and share his thoughts there, especially with Polish volunteers. We need to check whether he is allowed to enter Ukraine at all."
Details: Mentzen responded to Sadovyi's tweet with another provocative statement on X.
Quote: "I am a Pole, and I went to the beautiful and cultural Polish city of Lviv, on which the Russians once inflicted a great deal of damage. I saw a monument to Bandera, the cult of Bandera's criminals led by Shukhevych. You should be ashamed that in such a wonderful city you consent to the cult of genocide perpetrators, criminals and murderers of my compatriots. You should be banned from entering Poland."
Details: Mentzen said that if he wins the election, he will "immediately deal" with the issue of banning Sadovyi from entering Poland.
Background:
- Earlier, it was reported that Mentzen’s approval rating had recently increased.
- However, Mentzen is not a leader in the presidential ratings. Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki are considered the frontrunners
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