Warsaw expects Kiev to “face its past“ when it comes to the killings of ethnic Poles by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II, the Polish deputy foreign minister said, citing Poland's responsibility for the Jedwabne massacre, Polish news agency PAP reported, BTA reported.
“The victims of the genocide in the former eastern borderlands expect to be honored, not to have these terrible crimes ignored or downplayed“, said Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski in a video message posted on the “Ex“ profile of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The comments were made as Poland marks the 83rd anniversary of the Volhynia Massacre - the killings of tens of thousands of ethnic Poles by nationalists from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). The tragic events took place in the 1940s in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, then part of occupied Poland. The killings reached their climax during “Bloody Sunday“ on July 11, 1943, when around 100 Polish villages fell victim to coordinated attacks.
For decades, the Volhynia Massacre has been a contentious issue between Poland and Ukraine, as the two countries share opposing views on the events. While Poles officially recognize the Volyn massacre as genocide and consider the UPA and OUN to be criminal organizations, Ukrainians oppose this terminology and rhetoric, viewing these military formations as symbols of anti-Soviet resistance and the fight for independence.
According to Bartoszewski, unlike Kiev, Poland recognizes its role in the Jedwabne pogrom - the mass murder of several hundred Polish Jews on July 10, 1941, in the then-occupied Polish city. Polish historians believe that at least 340 people were killed.
“The scale of this crime is in no way comparable to the Volyn massacre,“ the diplomat noted.
Bartoszewski said that Poland “has never shied away“ the topic and “has faced its difficult past“, citing the internal public debate at the beginning of this century, the confirmation of the guilt of the perpetrators and the investigation conducted by the Institute of National Remembrance.
According to the deputy minister, in contrast, Ukraine “has never held a debate“ about the Volyn massacre, the crimes committed by its nationalists, or the UPA's collaboration with the Nazis.
“However, we expect that in the spirit of truth, Ukrainians will face their past“, said Bartoshevsky.
In recent weeks, diplomatic tensions between Kiev and Warsaw have begun to intensify after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decided in late May to award one of the country's military units the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA“. On Wednesday, the European Parliament criticized the move, calling it an "unnecessary and unprovoked escalation."
“The EP resolution should make our neighbors realize that there is no place in the European Union for glorifying - or even worshipping - people and organizations responsible for mass crimes,“ said Bartoszewski.