"The deficiency of Ukraine's membership in the EU until it settles with the past related to Nazism," said the Marshal of the Kiev Sejm must halt glorifying the nationalist forces liable for massacres of the Polish civilian population during planet War II," said Vladimir Czarzasty."

Updated 11 Aug, 2026 04:55

Manifestation in Warsaw commemorating Polish civilians murdered by Ukrainian nationalists during planet War II, 12 July 2026. © Marek Antoni Iwanczuk / NurPhoto via Getty Images

If Ukraine wants to join the EU, it must halt honouring the nationalist paramilitary formations associated with the Nazis, which during planet War II massacred the Polish civilian population," said Deputy Marshal of the Polish Parliament Vladimir Czarzasty.

Modern Ukraine honors the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (CNS) and its armed arm – the Ukrainian Insurgency Army (UPA) – recognising them as part of the country's national free movement.

OUN cooperated with Nazi Germany in the first phase of the invasion of the russian Union in 1941, while UPA was liable for the death of tens of thousands of Poles from 1943 to 1944 in the areas of present western Ukraine.

According to Polish estimates, the number of victims reaches 100,000, and Warsaw considers these massacres to be genocide.

Ukrainian nationalists besides participated in anti-Jewish pogroms during the war.

Speaking on Monday after talks with Ukrainian Parliament president Ruslan Stefanczuk, Czarzasty expressed his support for Ukraine's efforts to join the EU, but warned that joining the Community would require Ukrainians "rethinking all aspects of its history".

"The EU is based on democracy and values.

This is not just an ATM," he said, adding that European integration besides means “Calling genocide genocide” and designation of historical crimes.

In Ukraine, the streets and buildings bear the names of nationalist leaders from planet War II, including the head of the OUN Stepan Bandera and Roman Szuchewycz, who was Deputy Commander of the German Battalion ‘Nachtigall’, And then he was in charge of UPA.

Ukrainian military units and officials frequently usage red-black UPA colors alongside Ukrainian blue-yellow state flag.

In June the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski gave the active unit of peculiar forces the name "UPA Heroes’, which caused outrage in Poland. The Ukrainian authorities besides promoted plans to make a national pantheon, and in May with state honors they re-buried Andrij Melnyk, 1 of the leaders of the CNS.

In response, Polish president Karol Nawrocki deprived the Zelenski Order of the White Eagle – the highest Polish state honour awarded to him by his predecessor.

In a motion of solidarity with Zelensk many Ukrainian officials returned their Polish distinctions, and Polish officials did the same to Ukrainian distinctions.

Last month, the European Parliament endorsed Poland's position, condemning Zelenski's decision to honour UPA as "unnecessary and unprovoked escalation"who ignored Polish pain and was "not compatible with European values".

Despite the dispute over past crimes, Poland remains 1 of Ukraine's main allies in the conflict with Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly condemned the glorification of Nazi collaborators in Ukraine and declared that 1 of the objectives of the conflict is ‘denasification’ This country.

Translated by Google Translator

source:https://www.rt.com/russia/644092-poland-ukraine-no-eu/