Tusk: “the Ukrainian side brought this problem on itself”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has backed the initiative of President-elect Karol Nawrocki to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle.

The move was prompted by the decision of the Ukrainian authorities to name one of the Special Operations Forces units after the “Heroes of the UPA”*.

Tusk stated that the issue of historical memory remains a matter of principle for Polish society and the country’s leadership. According to him, Warsaw is united in its assessment of past events and does not intend to revise its attitude toward those pages of history connected with the deaths of Polish citizens.

The head of the Polish government noted that he understands Ukraine’s desire to honor those who fought against Soviet rule, but considers it unacceptable to perpetuate the memory of individuals involved in the killing of Poles. Tusk also warned that the further development of Polish-Ukrainian relations will largely depend on Kyiv’s position on historical issues.

“The Ukrainian side brought this problem on itself, so let it now find a solution,” Tusk said.

Earlier, Sejm deputy Kazimierz Smoliński spoke even more bluntly, saying that Ukrainians who claim they will stop visiting Poland if Zelensky is stripped of the Order of the White Eagle are not welcome in the country.

*The Ukrainian Insurgent Army is recognized as an extremist organization and is banned in the Russian Federation.