Karol Nawrocki. Photo: Nurphoto via Getty Images
Polish president’s office says Ukraine is responsible for deterioration of relations with Poland
Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the Chancellery of the President of Poland, believes that the current tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw stem from the actions of the Ukrainian side rather than any decision taken by President Karol Nawrocki.
Ukrainska Pravda
75
3 min read
0 views
Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the Chancellery of the President of Poland, believes that the current tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw stem from the actions of the Ukrainian side rather than any decision taken by President Karol Nawrocki.
Source: European Pravda, citing Polish radio station RMF FM
Details: Bogucki said that Polish-Ukrainian relations were currently in a poor state not because of anything President Nawrocki had done, but because in his view, Ukraine had chosen to disregard the memory of the victims and the agreements reached in Warsaw.
He added that naming a military unit after what he described as the "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" was unacceptable from the perspective of Polish policy. [The UPA, or the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, was a nationalist paramilitary organisation that fought for Ukrainian independence during and after World War II, primarily against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union – ed.]
According to Bogucki, the decision had been wrong, scandalous and offensive to Poles, as well as harmful to the memory of the victims. He said he hoped it had not been planned deliberately, as that would have reflected even more poorly on those responsible.
Asked whether the crisis in Polish-Ukrainian relations had been orchestrated ahead of the anniversary of the Volhynia tragedy, Bogucki said he hoped this was not the case.
He also confirmed that attempts had been made to establish contact between the two presidents, as previously mentioned by Marcin Przydacz, head of the Polish president's Bureau of International Policy, but said those efforts had not been successful.
When asked whether any channels of communication remained between the presidential administrations of Poland and Ukraine, Bogucki replied that diplomatic channels always remained open.
Background:
On the evening of 19 June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki took the decision to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle in connection with the naming of a Ukrainian military unit after the Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He said Poland would not allow EU accession for those who do not understand the need to renounce the "cult of totalitarianism and violence".
Following this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar, and Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Budanov announced that they would be returning the Polish state awards they had received.
So far Ukraine has not commented on whether the row will affect Zelenskyy's upcoming trip to Gdańsk, where this year's Ukraine Recovery Conference is due to take place.
Zelenskyy has suggested that the decision to strip him of the Order of the White Eagle is connected to domestic politics in Poland and efforts to stir up anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
Subscribe on Patreon to back our journalism long-term.
