Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Office for International Policy, has demanded the immediate dismissal of Deputy Minister of Science Andrzej Szeptycki following his controversial comments comparing UPA members to “cursed soldiers.”
Szeptycki’s controversial remarks on TOK FM
During a June 5th radio interview on TOK FM, host Jacek Żakowski questioned Deputy Minister of Science Andrzej Szeptycki about the place of the UPA in the Ukrainian historical imagination. Szeptycki described the UPA as a formation that fought for Ukrainian independence and primarily against the Soviets.
Szeptycki characterized the members of the UPA as “Ukrainian cursed soldiers,” a controversial analogy that carries significant weight in the context of Polish historical memory and the crimes committed during the Volhynian tragedy.
Przydacz calls for immediate termination
Responding to the comments on Telewizji Republika, Marcin Przydacz argued that Szeptycki should resign out of shame or be fired by the government. He urged coalition partners, including Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Piotr Zgorzelski, to demand the minister’s removal if Prime Minister Donald Tusk fails to act.
Przydacz reaffirmed his stance that the Volhynian massacre constitutes genocide. He emphasized the necessity for Ukraine to abandon the glorification of those involved in the crimes, while demanding respect for the victims through exhumations and proper burials.
Tensions over Ukrainian military naming
The controversy follows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to name a Ukrainian military unit “Heroes of UPA.” The move has drawn widespread criticism from Polish officials, including the President, who is considering the revocation of Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle.
Recent diplomatic discussions regarding these tensions have involved high-level meetings, including talks with Kyryło Budanow, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, who visited Warsaw to meet with Polish government representatives and President Andrzej Duda’s office.
