Polish defence minister meets head of Zelenskyy's office over name of Ukrainian military unit: "There are lines that must not be crossed"

Ulyana Krychkovska, Roman Petrenko - 6 June, 14:55

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamy sz and Kyrylo Budanov. Photo: Polish Defence Ministry

Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz met Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in Poland on 6 June.

Source: Kosiniak-Kamysz on X (Twitter); European Pravda

Details: Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland and Ukraine are partners on security issues.

Quote: "But when it comes to history, we must be honest with one another, because only by doing so can we build a future."

More details: Kosiniak-Kamysz said that during his meeting with Budanov, he "clearly set out Poland's expectations regarding the decision to name one of the military units after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army".

Quote: "The memory of the victims of the Volyn tragedy is not up for discussion. There are lines that must not be crossed."

For reference: The Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, was a nationalist paramilitary organisation that fought for Ukrainian independence during and after World War II, primarily against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Poland believes that UPA was responsible for what it considers the genocide of Poles during the Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy, a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943. The tragedy was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west.

Background:

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki met with Kyrylo Budanov on 5 June. Their discussion focused on the controversy surrounding the naming of the Special Operations Forces unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
Earlier, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called on Zelenskyy to reconsider his decision.

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