The Ukrainian President caused outrage by renaming an army unit after a paramilitary group which massacred Poles in WWII. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.
“In light of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s consent to name one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ‘Heroes of the UPA’… I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the President of Ukraine,” Nawrocki said in a statement.
“At this point, I would like to emphasise: This decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people. It does not signify a change in the strategic direction of Polish security policy.”
Smart move by Nawrocki. I’m sure Zelensky is trying to keep a firm hold of power by gathering influence from different factions, but it’s foolish to think that should extend to the intolerant.
The trick is, that the UPA genocides are ommitted in Ukrainian history lessons, same as Polish genocides against Ukrainians, Germans, annexation of Czechoslovakia and eastern slavery are in Polish history lessons. A lot of people really do not know, and so UPA are treated as some lovely independence fighters, which maybe some of them might have been, when not collaborating with the Nazis. OFC Zepensky should have known better, as should Nawrocki use this as leverage in whatever negotiations rather than a useless symbolic spat, which only Russian propaganda benefits from.
Nawrocki and the entire PiS are keen to side with Russia as is Targowica’s custom.
That’s fair, but I was referring more to Nawrocki’s statement that this does not and will not impact Polish support of Ukrainian defence and cooperation with NATO allies.
Smart move by Nawrocki. I’m sure Zelensky is trying to keep a firm hold of power by gathering influence from different factions, but it’s foolish to think that should extend to the intolerant.
No its not.
The trick is, that the UPA genocides are ommitted in Ukrainian history lessons, same as Polish genocides against Ukrainians, Germans, annexation of Czechoslovakia and eastern slavery are in Polish history lessons. A lot of people really do not know, and so UPA are treated as some lovely independence fighters, which maybe some of them might have been, when not collaborating with the Nazis. OFC Zepensky should have known better, as should Nawrocki use this as leverage in whatever negotiations rather than a useless symbolic spat, which only Russian propaganda benefits from.
Nawrocki and the entire PiS are keen to side with Russia as is Targowica’s custom.
edit: typo
That’s fair, but I was referring more to Nawrocki’s statement that this does not and will not impact Polish support of Ukrainian defence and cooperation with NATO allies.