A survey has found that the decision regarding the ‘Heroes of the UPA’ unit has led to a deterioration in attitudes towards Ukrainians among 52% of Poles
This is according to the results of a survey conducted by the Polish company SW Research for the newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
Indeed, 51.9% of respondents stated that their attitude had worsened. For 31.9% of respondents, this had no effect on their attitude, whilst for 4.5% of respondents, their attitude had actually improved. A further 11.7% of respondents had no opinion on the matter.
Among men, a higher proportion reported that their attitude had worsened — 59%, compared to 46% among women. People aged under 24 (56%) were also more likely to report a more negative attitude towards Ukraine and its citizens.
Almost one in six respondents with vocational education (57%) reported a worsening attitude, as did almost the same proportion of respondents (58%) with an income of no more than 3,000 zlotys. Respondents from towns with a population of between 100,000 and 199,000 were more likely to agree with this view than others (63%).
What caused the scandal
On 26 May, Zelensky issued a decree granting the ‘North’ Special Operations Centre of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the honorary title ‘Named after the Heroes of the UPA’. The document states that the aim of this decision is to ‘restore the historical traditions of the national army’.
This decree by the Ukrainian president drew significant criticism from some Polish politicians, who condemned it, recalling that the UPA committed crimes against Poles in Volhynia.
In particular, former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, who had supported Ukraine and Zelenskyy himself, also condemned the Ukrainian president and stated that he would remove the lapel pin in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, which he had been wearing since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The Polish Institute of National Remembrance also reacted, stating in its declaration that the UPA was responsible for the ‘genocide in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia’ and emphasising that “the Ukrainian authorities’ creation of a cult of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army should provoke opposition from all those who remember the activities of this formation”.
What they are saying in Kyiv
In Ukraine, Warsaw’s reaction is considered overly harsh.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga stated that the Ukrainian military personnel who initiated the granting of an honorary name to their unit had no intention of offending the Polish people.
According to him, for Ukrainian military personnel, the UPA’s struggle is a symbol of resistance to Russia’s imperial policies.
Sybiga also emphasised that Ukrainian soldiers deserve unconditional respect, and that today Moscow remains a common enemy for Ukraine and Poland.
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