Poland Threatens to Block Ukraine’s EU Bid Over 100,000 WWII Massacre Dispute
Poland is threatening to block Ukraine’s entry into the European Union unless Kyiv resolves a bitter historical dispute over a World War II massacre in which about 100,000 ethnic Poles were killed.
The conflict centers on the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist group that fought both Soviet and Nazi forces during World War II. In 1943-44, the UPA carried out mass killings of about 100,000 ethnic Poles in Volhynia and eastern Galicia [196159]. Ukraine recently honored UPA fighters as national heroes, a move Poland considers a deep insult [196159].
Polish officials are demanding that Ukraine acknowledge the massacre as genocide and allow the exhumation of victims’ remains [196159]. Kyiv argues that honoring the UPA is part of its struggle for independence, not a provocation against Poland [196159].
The row has escalated into mutual mud-slinging and angry rhetoric, threatening to undermine the strong alliance both countries need against Russia [196159]. After Russia’s 2022 invasion, millions of Poles rushed to help Ukrainian refugees with food, shelter, and support, but that unity is now a distant memory [196159].