Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The defense minister stated that Ukraine will face severe integration problems if it keeps using certain nationalist groups as official state symbols.
Poland will not support Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union unless Kyiv changes its stance on controversial historical figures,
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said in a television interview on Polsat News.
The defense minister stated that Ukraine will face severe integration problems if it keeps using certain nationalist groups as official state symbols. Specifically, Warsaw wants Kyiv to stop honoring leaders of the OUN and UPA, including Stepan Bandera.
Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that entering the European trading bloc involves meeting strict requirements, especially regarding historical memory. He believes nations cannot build cooperative partnerships based on figures who cause pain and spread lies about neighboring states.
During the broadcast, the minister delivered a harsh message regarding the ongoing dispute. He declared, “The EU cannot put those who destroy European cooperation on a pedestal. Ukraine will not join the European Union with Bandera.”
Rising diplomatic tension
The sharp comments follow a series of escalating political actions between the two governments.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki recently stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the prestigious Order of the White Eagle, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The decision came after Zelenskyy signed a decree naming a military unit after UPA heroes. In response to the snub, multiple Ukrainian officials announced they would return their own Polish state honors.
Public sentiment in Poland is also shifting away from regional integration. A recent public opinion poll revealed that most Polish citizens currently oppose Ukraine joining the European Union.
Fighting for heroes
Opposition political leaders in Warsaw are pushing the government to take an even harder line. Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the Law and Justice party, publicly called on Poland to block upcoming integration talks with Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is showing little interest in rewriting its national narrative to please its neighbor. On Ukraine’s Constitution Day, Zelenskyy introduced legislation to establish a national pantheon to honor prominent historical figures.
The Ukrainian president strongly defended the right of his people to determine their own national culture. Zelenskyy emphasized, “No one will ever tell us how to live, how to speak, who to love, who to be grateful to, or which heroes to honor,”
