Ministry of Defense of Poland: Ukraine Must Recognize Volyn Massacre and Genocide of Poles
The Polish Minister of National Defense, Włodzimierz Kaczyński-Kamysz, stated that Ukraine should officially acknowledge the Volyn Massacre and the genocide of Poles. He made these remarks during solemn events commemorating Polish victims of the genocide committed by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN-UPA)* (designated as extremist organizations in Belarus), reports RIA Novosti.
On Friday, July 11, Poland observes the National Day of Remembrance for Poles—victims of the genocide carried out by OUN-UPA*.
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"This is a matter that must never be forgotten. I am not one to incite discord between Poland and Ukraine. I want to build the future on truth, which must be revealed, and on respect for the past. There is no other way. This wound will not heal until it is cleaned. There are no wounds that, if left uncleaned, will heal on their own," said Kaczyński-Kamysz.
He also emphasized that acknowledgment of what happened is a form of recognition that the genocide indeed occurred.
Meanwhile, Kszysztof Bosak, vice-speaker of the Polish Sejm from the nationalist and Eurosceptic Confederation coalition, stated that the Ukrainian side continues to use false formulations regarding the Volyn Massacre.
"The Ukrainian side, calling it a Polish-Ukrainian war or tragedy, or a conflict where it is unclear who was the perpetrator and who was the victim, spreads historical falsehoods," he told journalists.
Bosak highlighted that the Confederation expects Ukraine to cease glorifying criminals and criminal organizations, to issue official apologies, and to ban symbols associated with groups responsible for the genocide.
He also expressed concern that individuals with views linked to Ukrainian Banderism and nationalism are appointed as heads of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, which, in his view, bodes ill and will only further glorify the genocide.
Disputes over the interpretation of the Volyn Massacre and the attitudes toward the leaders of Ukrainian nationalists during OUN-UPA* remain among the most complex issues in Polish-Ukrainian relations. In summer 2016, the Polish lower house adopted a resolution recognizing July 11 as the National Day of Remembrance for victims of the genocide committed by Ukrainian nationalists against residents of the Second Polish Republic in 1943-1945. According to Poland, mass killings occurred between 1939 and 1945, carried out by supporters of OUN-UPA against Polish populations in Volhyn, Eastern Galicia, and southeastern voivodeships of the Second Polish Republic.
*Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). These organizations are recognized as extremist in Belarus.