Tusk claims UPA year initiative harms support for Ukraine

Warsaw's reaction to local authority decision

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the Lviv Regional Council, which declared 2027 the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Roman Shukhevych, and Oleg Olzhych. According to the head of the Polish government, such initiatives create additional obstacles for those trying to support Ukraine.

«Росіяни потирають руки» ("The Russians are rubbing their hands"), Tusk noted, commenting on this step by Ukrainian local deputies.

Timeline of events and position of Polish officials

The relevant decision was adopted by the Lviv Regional Council on 20 October. This initiative triggered a wave of criticism from Polish officials.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki characterised the decision as a provocation. He reported that the Polish side had received assurances from representatives of the President of Ukraine that the resolution would not take effect. Shortly afterwards, the document disappeared from the official website of the Lviv Regional Council, although there is currently no official confirmation of its cancellation.

Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also took a critical stance on the initiative.

Historical context of the conflict

The topic of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains one of the most acute issues in Polish-Ukrainian relations. Discrepancies in historical assessments are linked to the events in Volhynia in 1943, which the Republic of Poland defines as genocide.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, part of society perceives the UPA as a symbol of the struggle for independence. These opposing interpretations of the past continue to influence the dynamics of relations between the two countries.