Lech Wałęsa took down the Ukrainian flag in response to Zelenskyy’s decision regarding the UPA
Polish media reported on Lech Wałęsa’s statement, citing his social media post. The decree conferring the honorary name “North” on the Separate Special Operations Centre has been published on the Ukrainian President’s website.
Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reacted strongly to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to award the Ukrainian unit the honorary title “in the name of the Heroes of the UPA”.
In his post, Walesa stated that the President of Ukraine, by “honouring” the UPA, had insulted him and the memory of his slain Polish compatriots.
He then publicly removed the Ukrainian flag from his chest. According to Polish media reports, this was a symbolic withdrawal of support for Zelenskyy specifically, rather than for Ukrainians.
Walesa separately emphasised that he would continue to help the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russia, but was “withholding his support” from the President of Ukraine.
Which decision by Zelenskyy caused the scandal
On 26 May, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree No. 440/2026.
The document bestows the honorary title “Named after the Heroes of the UPA” upon the Separate Special Operations Centre “North” of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Henceforth, the unit is to be known as the Separate Special Operations Centre “North” named after the Heroes of the UPA of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The decree states that the decision was taken “with the aim of restoring the historical traditions of the national army” and in recognition of the exemplary performance of tasks in defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.
Poland’s reaction
Kyiv’s decision has provoked a sharp reaction in Poland.
Polish media report that Walesa has become one of the public critics of this move. He has highlighted the divide in Ukrainian society regarding support for and attitudes towards Zelenskyy’s decision.
Prior to this, the Polish side had already protested against the naming of a Ukrainian unit after the Heroes of the UPA. According to reports by RMF 24, Poland’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcin Bosacki met with Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar and conveyed Warsaw’s negative stance.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wiewiór stated that Poland views such a naming “unequivocally negatively”, as it offends the memory of the UPA’s victims and could be exploited by Russian propaganda.
Why is the UPA such a sensitive issue for Poland?
For Ukraine, the UPA is often viewed in the context of the struggle for independence and resistance to the Soviet system.
For Poland, this issue has a different historical dimension. In the Polish memory, the UPA is primarily associated with the Volhynia tragedy and the killings of the Polish civilian population during the Second World War.
This is precisely why the decision to give an honourable name to a Ukrainian military unit provoked not only a political but also an emotional reaction in Poland.
Additional context: the reburial of Andriy Melnyk
This issue has also become part of a wider debate in Poland, as the activities of the OUN and UPA remain one of the most sensitive historical issues in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw.
What this means for Ukrainian-Polish relations
Historical disputes between Ukraine and Poland regularly resurface on the political agenda, even though Warsaw remains one of Kyiv’s key allies during the full-scale war.
Walesa’s statement is significant not as the position of the current government, but as a signal from a section of Polish society: support for Ukraine in the war against Russia does not diminish the sensitivity of historical issues.
This is precisely why decisions regarding symbols associated with the OUN and UPA are perceived in Poland not as an internal Ukrainian matter, but as a question of remembrance for fallen Poles.
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