Poland, buses and Bandera: Vinnytsia has turned down help from Kielce
This was announced by Agata Woda, the mayor of Kielce.
Vinnytsia has declined 15 decommissioned buses that the Polish city of Kielce had planned to donate. The decision was taken following statements by Polish MPs who opposed the transfer of the vehicles via Stepan Bandera Street in Vinnytsia.
Agata Wojda, the mayor of Kielce, reported that Serhiy Morgunov, the mayor of Vinnytsia, had withdrawn the request for the transfer of the buses. According to her, he did so not because the city’s needs had disappeared, but to ensure that the aid to the Ukrainian city did not become a tool for political dispute.
Which buses were to be transferred to Vinnytsia
Vinnytsia had approached Kielce with a request to transfer 15 buses from the 40 vehicles that the Polish city is taking out of service.
According to Agata Wojda, these are buses that are almost 20 years old. In Kielce, they were no longer fit to carry passengers due to their age, technical condition and mileage. If the vehicles had not been transferred to Vinnytsia, they would most likely have been sold for parts or scrapped.
Wojda explained that such buses could be useful for Vinnytsia during power cuts. Public transport in Vinnytsia relies heavily on trams and trolleybuses, and during power cuts this can cause problems with passenger transport.
Why the scandal arose in Poland
Some members of the Kielce City Council opposed the transfer of the buses.
In particular, councillor Maciej Jakubczyk stated that the transfer of the vehicles could worsen the already tense Polish-Ukrainian relations. He also mentioned that a street in Vinnytsia had been renamed in honour of Stepan Bandera, and suggested that one of the buses might end up running along that very street.
Marcin Stempniewski, a representative of the Law and Justice party, also spoke out against the transfer of the buses. According to him, in the current political climate, such a decision would be “incomprehensible”. He stated that vehicles which cannot operate on the streets of Kielce should be sold, with the proceeds directed towards the city’s needs.
What the Mayor of Kielce said
Agata Wojda criticised the wave of statements and posts surrounding the aid to Vinnytsia. She stated that in recent days there had been a great deal of manipulation, lies and aggression surrounding this issue.
According to her, the bus issue has become a test of decency and solidarity. Wojda also emphasised that Vinnytsia and Kielce have enjoyed a partnership spanning almost 70 years, whilst the residents of the Ukrainian city continue to live under wartime conditions.
The Mayor of Kielce noted that despite the scandal, Serhiy Morgunov thanked the residents of Kielce for their years of support, assistance and solidarity with Ukraine.
What will happen to the buses
Following Vinnytsia’s withdrawal of the request, the buses will not be handed over to Ukraine.
Polish media report that the proposal to transfer 15 second-hand buses caused a political storm in Kielce. Following a wave of criticism and claims of misinformation, the mayor of Vinnytsia withdrew the request so as not to worsen relations between the cities.
At present, this concerns Vinnytsia’s decision to withdraw the request, not the official termination of the partnership with Kielce.
Follow us on Telegram
