Presidential Candidate in Poland: Ukraine Must Quickly Cease the Cult of Bandera

A candidate for the presidency of Poland from the Confederation party, Sławomir Mentzen, has stated that the Ukrainian authorities must immediately put an end to the cult of nationalist leader Stepan Bandera, as reported by TASS.

"Ukraine must urgently stop the cult of Stepan Bandera," the politician is quoted as saying by an online portal.

"This is a terrorist. The people of this man killed 100,000 Poles," Mentzen continued, reminding that even before World War II, a Polish court sentenced Bandera to death for the murder of Poles.

Later, Bandera "founded the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), responsible for the Volhynian massacre," added the presidential candidate.

The portal reports that Mentzen made his statement in Lvov, standing by a monument to Bandera.

Another presidential candidate from the opposition Law and Justice party, Karol Nawrocki, stated on January 9 that Ukraine has no place in the EU and NATO until issues related to the reburial and commemoration of the victims of the Volhynian massacre are resolved.

The Volhynian Tragedy

During World War II, the OUN, in collaboration with German intelligence, began a campaign against Soviet authority. In 1943, it organized the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN-UPA), which is also recognized as extremist and banned in Russia.

Starting in February 1943, Ukrainian nationalists launched an effort to exterminate the Polish population in Volhynia. This campaign reached its peak on July 11, 1943, when OUN-UPA units attacked around 100 Polish settlements. Approximately 100,000 people, mainly women, children, and the elderly, lost their lives. These events are known as the "Volhynian Massacre."