The Ukrainian government is facing mounting calls from Warsaw to address a historical dispute that has strained relations between the two allies. At the centre of the row is the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist formation that fought for independence during the Second World War but also participated in the massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia in 1943.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has explicitly linked the controversy to Kyiv’s aspirations for European integration. Warsaw, a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, now demands that President Volodymyr Zelensky unequivocally condemn the UPA’s crimes. The Polish government argues that without such a gesture, historical reconciliation cannot deepen, and Ukraine’s path toward the European Union may face additional obstacles.
Zelensky’s administration has so far tread carefully, aware that the UPA is celebrated by many Ukrainians as freedom fighters. Nationalist sentiment is a significant force in Ukrainian politics, and outright condemnation could alienate a portion of the electorate. However, the diplomatic cost of inaction is becoming clear. Poland has previously used its veto power within the EU to block the start of membership negotiations for Ukraine, and this issue could be leveraged again.
The dispute has roots in competing national narratives. For Poland, the UPA’s actions constitute ethnic cleansing, a genocide that killed tens of thousands of Poles. For Ukraine, the UPA represents resistance against both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, and acknowledging its darker chapters is seen as conceding ground to historical adversaries, including Russia, which has sought to weaponise this history against Ukrainian statehood.
European diplomats following the matter note that the row is not purely historic. It reflects deeper tensions over how Ukraine’s wartime and post-Soviet identity is formed. Zelensky has previously signalled a willingness to compromise, issuing a statement in 2022 that honoured Polish victims of the Volhynia tragedy. But Polish officials say this did not go far enough. They want a formal joint declaration, a commitment to exhumations of Polish victims, and a clear demarcation of the UPA as a criminal organisation.
Meanwhile, Russian state media has eagerly amplified the discord, portraying it as evidence that Kyiv cannot be trusted even by its closest allies. This narrative is particularly damaging given Ukraine’s reliance on Polish logistical support and arms transfers. The Kremlin’s aim is to fray the Western coalition by inflating bilateral disagreements.
Zelensky faces a finely balanced political calculus. Domestically, a decisive break with the UPA’s legacy could empower far-right groups that have gained prominence during the war. Internationally, failure to satisfy Polish demands risks undermining one of Ukraine’s most essential partnerships. The issue will likely be a central agenda item during Zelensky’s upcoming meeting with Morawiecki, and all eyes will be on whether he can craft a compromise that satisfies both historical justice and contemporary unity.
The resolution of this dispute is not merely symbolic. It has practical implications for EU accession, for the ongoing counteroffensive against Russian forces, and for the broader stability of the region. As the war enters its second winter, the margins for diplomatic error narrow. Ukraine cannot afford to lose Polish good will, but it also cannot afford internal fractures. The president’s handling of this row will test his reputation as a deft political operator on the international stage.
