Photo: EPA
Poland has temporarily suspended the transfer of a major military aid package to Ukraine following a decision by the Lviv Regional Council to designate 2027 as the year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), its commander Roman Shukhevych and Oleg Olzhych, a leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists’ Revolutionary Tribunal, RBC-Ukraine reported.
The vote took place as Poland was preparing to send the military aid package to Ukraine. A source cited by the outlet criticized the lawmakers’ decision and linked it to the suspension of deliveries. Efforts are now underway through confidential channels to resolve the dispute.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the decision had angered Poles, but argued that its consequences could be more damaging to Ukraine itself, particularly its prospects for European Union membership.
Tusk warned that opponents of Ukraine’s EU accession could use the historical controversy as an additional argument against admitting the country. He urged Ukrainian partners to avoid similar disputes, describing the approach as “a suicidal tactic.”
“It is foolish, it harms Ukraine. It irritates us; we do not understand it. Above all, it runs counter to Ukraine’s interests,” Tusk said, adding that he had previously warned President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that such gestures made it much harder for Ukraine’s friends to support it.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has also criticized the Lviv council’s decision, calling it counterproductive to relations with Poland. The ministry said lawmakers had not consulted it or other central government bodies before the vote to assess the potential consequences.
Ukrainian diplomats stressed that local decisions should not undermine the country’s security or European integration. At the same time, they urged Poland to avoid drastic measures that could hinder the normalization of bilateral relations and said Kyiv was ready to address contentious issues through diplomatic channels.
Relations between Kyiv and Warsaw have also been strained by Ukraine’s law on the Ukrainian National Pantheon, signed by Zelenskyy. The legislation allows the commemoration of figures associated with the UPA, the Ukrainian Galician Army and Carpathian Sich.
Zelenskyy has said Ukrainians alone should decide who their national heroes are. Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the Polish president’s office, called the potential commemoration of figures from the OUN and UPA unacceptable to Warsaw. Ukrainian lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev said the final list had not yet been determined but did not rule out the inclusion of Stepan Bandera.
