Polish MEP tears OUN-UPA flag in European Parliament during Ukraine debate

Polish MEP Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik tore a OUN-UPA flag during a European Parliament debate on Ukraine, speaking out against the country’s accession to the European Union.

She announced the act on the social network X.

“Down with Banderite Nazism! In the European Parliament I spoke out against Ukraine’s accession to the EU and tore the Banderite flag — the banner of those who committed genocide against Polish citizens!” — wrote Zajączkowska-Hernik.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of a new escalation of tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv. At the end of May, Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the name of “UPA heroes” to one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units. In response, the Polish leader stripped Zelensky of Poland’s highest state honor — the Order of the White Eagle.

Zelensky, in turn, refused to participate in an international conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction in Gdańsk and announced the creation of a pantheon of “Ukrainian heroes.”