Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, has stated that Ukraine needs to review its historical policy if it is to have any chance of joining the European Union. He emphasised that the policy on remembrance is an important prerequisite for European integration.
- Kosiniak-Kamish stated that Ukraine cannot join the EU with Bandera.
- Poland is calling on Ukraine to review its historical policy.
- Warsaw has suspended the transfer of MiG fighter jets to Ukraine.
- Public opinion in Poland is deteriorating due to differences in the assessment of the Volhynia tragedy.
- Poland is expecting concessions from Ukraine on matters of historical memory.
Poland is imposing tough conditions on Ukraine on its path to the EU
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Poland Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz Speaking on Polsat News, he set out Warsaw’s firm stance on Ukraine’s policy of honouring the leaders of the OUN and the UPA. He emphasised that for accession to the European Union Ukraine needs to adhere to common standards in its interpretation of history.
Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasised that every candidate country must meet strict criteria, particularly with regard to remembrance policy. “One of the principles of the European Union is the fulfilment of conditions. When the EU was established, states could not base their national identity on events that caused controversy or pain amongst their partners,” he noted.
The Deputy Prime Minister also emphasised that the pantheon of heroes of the European community should not include those whose actions run counter to the idea of European cooperation. “With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union. No one will tell us how to vote on the accession of any particular country“, — he concluded.
Tensions between Ukraine and Poland
This statement was made against a backdrop of a cooling in bilateral relations. Public discontent in Poland is on the rise due to the recent awarding of an honorary title linked to the heroes of the UPA to one of the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to opinion polls, more than half of Poles believe that their attitude towards Ukraine has deteriorated because of differences in the assessment of the Volhynia tragedy.
Kosiniak-Kamish also touched upon practical issues of military cooperation, in particular the suspension of the transfer of the promised MiG fighter jets to Ukraine. “I proposed a very partnership-based approach: MiGs in exchange for drones. The Ukrainian side initially agreed, but then backed away from these arrangements,” he said.
Warsaw emphasises adherence to the “principle of solidarity”, which stipulates that, in order to receive further support and for integration measures to proceed, Ukraine must make official concessions on historical issues, in particular, on the issues of exhumations and the reassessment of the role of the OUN-UPA in public discourse.
