Ukraine discussed the possible renaming of the ‘Heroes of the UPA’ unit in Warsaw
This has been reported by Wirtualna Polska, citing sources among Polish politicians. The Polish Foreign Ministry has officially confirmed a meeting between State Secretary Marcin Bosacki and the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, and stated that Warsaw had conveyed its position on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to Kyiv.
The Ukrainian delegation in Warsaw discussed with the Polish side the crisis surrounding the naming of one of the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Special Operations Forces in honour of the Heroes of the UPA.
According to Wirtualna Polska, the talks did not result in any concrete agreements, and the Polish side took a hard line on historical issues.
It is officially known that on 5 June, Polish Foreign Ministry State Secretary Marcin Bosacki met with the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov. The Polish Foreign Ministry stated that Bosacki emphasised that Zelenskyy’s decision had caused “pain and outrage” in Polish society, which has supported Ukraine since the start of the Russian aggression.
Who took part in the talks
According to Wirtualna Polska, the Ukrainian delegation in Warsaw included Kyrylo Budanov, as well as his deputies Iryna Vereshchuk and Serhiy Kyslytsia.
The talks with the Ukrainian delegation were led by the Deputy Head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marcin Bosacki. According to the publication, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski did not take part in the meeting.
Separately, the Ukrainian delegation met with Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Poland insists on ‘historical truth’
Following the meeting, Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Poland and Ukraine remain partners in the field of security, but must tell each other the truth when it comes to historical matters.
He emphasised that “the memory of the victims of Volhynia is not up for negotiation” and that there are lines that must not be crossed.
According to Euronews, during the talks the Polish side directly raised the issue of Zelenskyy’s decision to name a Special Operations Forces unit “after the Heroes of the UPA”.
Could the unit be renamed?
According to Wirtualna Polska, Kyiv is considering possible steps to ease tensions in relations with Poland.
Among the options under discussion is changing the name of the “North” Special Operations Centre.
One possible compromise could be to abandon the current wording in favour of a name linked solely to UPA members who fought against the Soviet Union.
According to the publication, this issue was discussed during talks in Warsaw. The final decision is to be made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
What else can Ukraine do
Wirtualna Polska also reports that Ukraine is allegedly ready to take further steps in the field of historical policy.
These include increasing the number of permits for search operations and the exhumation of victims of the Volhynia tragedy.
The issue of exhumations has already been raised in the official position of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister Andriy Sybiga previously stated that Ukraine and Poland had gradually resumed constructive dialogue, unblocked search operations and exhumations, and carried out the reburial of victims in several locations.
What caused the scandal
The decree stated that the decision was taken “with the aim of restoring the historical traditions of the national army” and in view of the unit’s exemplary performance of its duties in defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.
In Poland, this decision drew sharp criticism. For the Polish side, the topic of the UPA is primarily linked to the Volhynia tragedy of 1943–1945. Euronews notes that Poland holds the UPA responsible for the mass killings of the Polish population in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, whereas in Ukrainian public memory the UPA is often perceived as a movement fighting for independence.
For now, this is not about a decision that has been taken regarding the renaming, but about a possible scenario which, according to the Polish publication, is being discussed in Kyiv and has become a topic of negotiations in Warsaw.
Ukraine has not officially announced a change to the name of the Special Operations Forces unit.
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