Polish ex-foreign minister: Warsaw must respond decisively to glorification of the UPA

Former Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz has called on Polish authorities to effectively counter attempts to glorify the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

He expressed his view on the RMF24 radio station.

“I believe that one must respond very decisively to such attempts to immortalize the UPA, which carried out mass killings of Poles — however, this must be done effectively,” Czaputowicz said.

The former diplomat, who served as foreign minister from 2018 to 2020, also commented on the situation surrounding the possible stripping of Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle. He called Polish President Karol Nawrocki “spineless” for his delay in making that decision. At the same time, Czaputowicz believes the very idea of such a measure is misguided, as it could damage Warsaw’s international standing.

“It would be an enormous international scandal,” he stressed.

Czaputowicz also noted that Zelensky and the Kyiv authorities treat Poland as a second-rate partner, ignoring Warsaw’s demands to reverse the decision to name one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ units after the “heroes of the UPA.”

A new spike in tensions between the two countries arose after Zelensky, on May 26, named the separate special operations center “North” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Special Operations Forces after the “heroes of the UPA.” The decision provoked widespread outrage in Poland. Former Polish President Lech Wałęsa stated that Zelensky, “by paying tribute to the UPA bandits,” had insulted “all the murdered” Poles, and refused to continue supporting him.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukrainian Ambassador to Warsaw Vasyl Bodnar in connection with the incident and expressed its concern to him. Polish President Karol Nawrocki proposed stripping Zelensky of the republic’s highest state honor — the Order of the White Eagle.