On 21 October, Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, signed a request to add Sviatoslav Sheremeta, a member of the Lviv Regional Council, to the list of persons whose presence in Poland is undesirable. According to Polish media reports, the request provides for a five-year ban on entry to the entire Schengen Area; there is currently no such ban in place.
Briefly about the main points
- Sikorsky signed a petition to have Sheremeta added to the list of undesirable persons.
- Polish media have reported on a request for a five-year ban on entry to the Schengen Area.
- The final decision is to be taken by the Head of the Office for Foreigners in Poland.
- The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the decision by the Lviv Regional Council as counterproductive.
A motion does not yet constitute a ban
Sikorsky stated that he had signed a petition addressed to the Polish Office for Foreigners. According to Polish media reports, the petition concerns an entry ban on Sheremety for five years throughout the entire Schengen Area.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs may initiate such a procedure; however, the decision to include a foreign national on the Polish list of undesirable persons is taken by the Head of the Office for Foreigners. At the time of writing, there was no information regarding Sheremeta’s definitive inclusion on the list.
What the Lviv Regional Council has approved
On 20 October, the Lviv Regional Council, through a series of resolutions, declared 2027 to be the year of Roman Shukhevych, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Oleg Olzhych. The Rada explained that the decision was taken to mark the 120th anniversary of the births of Shukhevych and Olzhych and the 85th anniversary of the founding of the UPA.
Sviatoslav Sheremeta is a member of the regional council and chair of the committee on culture, information policy and promotion. He initiated projects relating to the Year of Shukhevych and UPA.
In his statement, Sikorski described Sheremeta as the reconstructor of the Waffen-SS «Galicia» Division and made assertions regarding Shukhevych’s actions. The figures of Shukhevych and the UPA remain a subject of sharp disagreement in Ukrainian and Polish historical memory, particularly due to the events of 1943–1944.
Reactions from Warsaw and Kyiv
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the decision by the Lviv Regional Council as unwise and, in his view, detrimental to Ukraine’s interests. He stated that opponents of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union could use it as a pretext to hinder European integration.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the regional council’s decision as counterproductive for Ukrainian-Polish relations. The ministry stated that the councillors had not consulted the central authorities regarding the international implications, and called on the Polish side to refrain from taking drastic measures.
Marcin Bosacki, Deputy Head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that he had received assurances from unnamed aides to the President of Ukraine that the regional council’s decision would not come into force. No formal document revoking the three decisions of the Lviv Regional Council has been confirmed.
