Władyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister of Defence, has caused a storm with his latest statement on relations between Poland and Ukraine: “There will be no entry of Ukraine into the EU if there is no settlement of the Volhynia issue.”
The Volhynia massacre is one of the most painful events in the history of Polish-Ukrainian relations.
Between 1943 and 1945, Ukrainian nationalists of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) carried out mass murders of the Polish population living in Volhynia and Eastern Lesser Poland.
It is estimated that between 50,000 and 120,000 Poles were killed at the time, including many women and children. The aim of these actions was ethnic cleansing, aimed at creating a mono-ethnic Ukrainian state.
The tragedy of Volhynia remains an unhealed wound in Polish-Ukrainian relations. For years, the Polish side has been demanding an official apology, recognition of responsibility for the events, exhumation of the victims, and a decent burial for them.
Despite numerous conciliatory gestures, such as the tribute paid by former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in front of the Monument to the Volhynia Massacre in 2016, the issue has not been fully resolved until now.
Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that Poland supports Ukraine in its aspirations for European integration but that historical issues must be resolved to talk about genuine reconciliation and cooperation. He noted that joint historical debates, commemoration of the tragic events in Ukrainian historiography and textbooks, and assistance with the exhumation of the victims and their decent burial are necessary.
Only through an open and sincere approach to this difficult history can a lasting foundation be built for future cooperation and partnership within the European Union.
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