Kaczyński Sets Conditions for Ukraine’s EU Accession Over Volhynian Massacre
On the 83rd anniversary of the Volhynian Massacre, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński declared that Poland will oppose Ukraine’s EU membership unless the issue of glorifying the perpetrators is fully...
On the 83rd anniversary of the Volhynian Massacre, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński declared that Poland will oppose Ukraine’s EU membership unless the issue of glorifying the perpetrators is fully resolved.
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Kaczyński’s Stance on Volhynia
On the 83rd anniversary of the Volhynian Massacre, Law and Justice (PiS) politicians, including chairman Jarosław Kaczyński and deputy chairman Przemysław Czarnek, laid flowers at the Volhynian Pieta in Chełm. Kaczyński described the massacre as a premeditated, planned, and exceptionally brutal crime.
Kaczyński highlighted ongoing challenges regarding the burial of victims and the dissemination of historical memory. He specifically criticized the glorification of perpetrators in Ukraine, citing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to name an elite Ukrainian military unit after the “Heroes of the UPA.”
Political Ultimatum for EU Entry
Kaczyński argued that the response to these actions must extend beyond rhetoric into political action. He stated that Ukraine cannot enter the European Union while maintaining a legacy of “banderism,” vowing to block its accession if the glorification of perpetrators continues and Polish victims remain unrecovered and uncommemorated.
PiS has announced plans to submit a Sejm resolution opposing Ukraine’s EU membership due to the ongoing veneration of the Volhynian genocide perpetrators. Kaczyński emphasized that he would pursue this policy at a state level should his party return to power next year.
Zelenskyy’s Response on Historical Facts
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by noting that both Ukraine and Poland are working to uncover the facts regarding those who fell during World War II. He confirmed that search operations are underway at former village sites and burial locations, with exhumations scheduled in Ostrówki and Wola Ostrowiecka.
Zelenskyy stressed the need for truth and Christian commemoration, while emphasizing that Ukraine and Poland must remain united against the shared, lethal threat of Russia. He urged that discussions of the past should not cast doubt on the future of both nations and Europe.