The robust solidarity that defined Polish-Ukrainian relations following the Russian invasion in February 2022 is facing a severe test as both nations become entangled in a contentious historical dispute. What began as a heartwarming display of support from millions of Poles for Ukrainian refugees has shifted into an era of mutual recriminations, with Poland now threatening to block Ukraine’s path to European Union membership until historical grievances are addressed.
At the heart of the friction is the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group that fought against Soviet rule during the second world war. While many in Ukraine view the UPA as heroic freedom fighters, Poland officially recognizes the group’s involvement in the massacre of approximately 100,000 Poles as an act of genocide. Polish nationalist president Karol Nawrocki, who has taken a hard line on the issue, declared during a recent anniversary speech that ignoring or praising such atrocities is an invitation for future violence.
The diplomatic fallout intensified in June when Nawrocki revoked a Polish state award previously granted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This move triggered a wave of Ukrainian officials returning their own Polish decorations in protest. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, emphasized that Ukraine would not allow foreign entities to dictate its national heroes or historical narrative, as the government continues plans for a national pantheon that includes UPA figures.
Bartosz Cichocki, who served as Poland’s ambassador to Ukraine from 2019 to 2023, suggested that Zelenskyy’s pivot toward nationalist symbols is a strategic attempt to bolster domestic legitimacy during the war. However, Cichocki noted that the move has backfired, surprising Polish officials with the intensity of their public reaction. Meanwhile, political analysts observe that Nawrocki has utilized the scandal to enhance his own standing, with recent polls indicating his trust ratings have climbed to an all-time high of 55%, up more than 8% from just a month previously.
The tension has also created a divide within Poland’s own coalition government. While some members of Donald Tusk’s administration have advocated for a more conciliatory approach, the political pressure to appear firm on Ukraine remains high ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. Tusk recently proposed a “wall of memory” dedicated to the victims of the massacres and insisted that truth regarding the past is a prerequisite for any nation seeking to join the European community. More widely, Jewish groups have also raised concerns over the years about Ukraine’s veneration of certain UPA figures whose followers were complicit in the Holocaust. In 2010, the US historian Timothy Snyder criticised the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko for honouring Stepan Bandera, leader of one wing of the UPA.
Social undercurrents of resentment have complicated the situation further. Many Poles have expressed frustration regarding the more than 1 million Ukrainians who now live in Poland, while Ukrainians have increasingly reported feeling treated with disdain at border crossings, describing aggressive guards and humiliating conditions. These daily experiences have eroded the goodwill that once existed between the two populations.
Historian Yaroslav Hrytsak argued that the current crisis is exacerbated by leaders who prioritize political maneuvering over historical nuance. He noted that while the UPA was historically a point of division within Ukraine, the current conflict has fostered a consensus that portrays them solely as anti-Soviet resistance fighters, a perspective that many Ukrainians find difficult to reconcile with the Polish narrative. Despite attempts at mediation, including an hour-long discussion between Zelenskyy and Nawrocki on the sidelines of a recent NATO summit in Turkey, no progress has been made.
Looking ahead, experts suggest that while the two countries will likely maintain a functional relationship due to their shared threat from an expansionist Russia, the era of unreserved solidarity has effectively ended. Future cooperation will likely be strictly limited to mutual strategic interests, with Poland expected to adopt a much stricter stance on Ukraine’s European integration process.
