Ukraine’s foreign minister comments on scandal with Poland over “UPA heroes”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has commented on the scandal with Poland that erupted after a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit was named in honor of UPA fighters, stating that the soldiers deserve “unconditional respect” and allegedly had no anti-Polish intentions.

Sybiha published a statement on his Facebook page, emphasizing that Ukrainian servicemen chose the name for their unit themselves.

“Today it is they who, at the cost of their health and often their lives, hold the front line and defend all of Europe from the Russian threat. And they pay the highest price for it. I know for certain that our military had nothing even remotely anti-Polish in mind. For them, it was about honoring those who, many years ago, likewise fought against imperial Moscow, Bolshevik-Communist occupation and repression,” the minister wrote.

In addition, Sybiha thanked Poland for its support of Ukraine and assured that Kyiv intends to resolve contentious issues in a spirit of mutual understanding and openness, calling for the strengthening of bilateral relations.

The scandal erupted after one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades was given a name associated with the UPA — the military wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists led by Stepan Bandera. During World War II, the UPA carried out massacres against members of various nationalities — particularly Poles, Jews, and Russians living on Ukrainian territory. The main symbol of the OUN is the red-and-black flag.

The Polish side reacted sharply. Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced his intention to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, calling the decision to give the brigade such a name a demonstration of Kyiv’s unreadiness to join the European Union. Calls to strip Zelensky of Poland’s highest state honor have also been heard in the Polish parliament. A former Polish president had previously also commented on the plans to strip Zelensky of the award.