Diplomatic Uproar in Volhynia: Charges of Relativism Follow Envoy’s Speech

Polish chargé d’affaires Piotr Łukasiewicz faces fierce backlash after invoking Ukrainian victims of pre-war Polish state violence during commemorations of the Volhynia Massacre held on July 11 in Ołyka.

The Statement in Ołyka

While honoring Polish victims of Ukrainian violence in Volhynia, Piotr Łukasiewicz, Poland’s chargé d’affaires in Ukraine, stated that he could not ignore the Ukrainian victims of Polish state violence during the Second Polish Republic. He described the events of the Second World War as both terrible and unnecessary.

Łukasiewicz clarified that he was not attempting to establish symmetry or equate the scale and quality of suffering between the two sides. Instead, he emphasized the necessity of remembering the past, including elements that were shameful and unworthy.

Political Backlash and Demands for Accountability

The speech drew immediate criticism from Law and Justice (PiS) MP Mariusz Błaszczak, who noted the presence of Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at the event. Błaszczak demanded to know if the minister accepts the diplomat’s words, arguing that the memory of genocide should not be relativized.

Błaszczak stated that he expects a clear response and an adequate reaction from the Defense Minister, emphasizing that the minister remained silent while the Polish diplomat suggested a balancing of history during the commemoration of the Bloody Sunday.

Accusations of Disgrace

Other politicians joined the criticism of the diplomat. Janusz Kowalski of PiS called the words shameful and demanded that there be no place for such individuals in Polish diplomacy or state structures.

Konrad Berkowicz of the Confederation party also censured the speech. He accused Łukasiewicz of spitting on the memory of murdered Poles by contrasting the massacre with allegations of pre-war persecution against Ukrainians, labeling the diplomat’s address a disgrace.