Poland warns Ukraine: Bandera in national pantheon will create “enormous problems” with European integration

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki has said that including Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych in Ukraine’s national pantheon would significantly complicate its relations with Poland and Europe as a whole.

This was reported by RMF 24.

“At the same time, if figures responsible for mass crimes against the civilian population, such as Bandera or Shukhevych, were to actually appear in Ukraine’s National Pantheon, this would significantly worsen Ukraine’s relations not only with Poland but with Europe as a whole,” Bosacki said.

According to the Polish diplomat, Ukraine understands that under the flags of those who exterminated “not only Poles, but also some Ukrainians, as well as Czechs and Jews,” it will face “enormous problems with integration into Europe.”

On July 1, members of the Verkhovna Rada voted to establish a so-called “national pantheon.” Among the potential candidates for inclusion are Stepan Bandera, Hetman Ivan Mazepa, diplomat Pylyp Orlyk, Supreme Otaman of the Ukrainian People’s Republic Symon Petliura, Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky, and other historical figures.