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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
The European Parliament (EP) has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for naming a military unit after a group that massacred Poles during World War Two, calling it an “unprovoked escalation” that is “not in line with European values” and “disregards Polish sensitivities”.
Zelensky’s decision has triggered a diplomatic crisis with Poland, where some politicians have called for the blocking of Ukraine’s EU accession process until the issue is resolved.
🇪🇺🇵🇱🇺🇦 Rezolucja Parlamentu Europejskiego ws. Ukrainy!
"Parlament Europejski ubolewa nad niedawną niepotrzebną i niesprowokowaną eskalacją spowodowaną przez prezydenta Wołodymyra Zełenskiego polegającą na nadaniu elitarnej jednostce Sił Zbrojnych Ukrainy imienia Bohaterów UPA.… pic.twitter.com/KUC2Fh8FX8
— Konrad Wernicki (@Konrad_Wernicki) July 8, 2026
In a resolution approved by a majority of MEPs on Wednesday, the EP said that it “regrets the recent unnecessary and unprovoked escalation by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by renaming an elite military unit…after the heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)”.
In Ukraine, the UPA is remembered for its role in fighting for Ukrainian independence from Soviet rule during and after World War Two. In Poland, however, it is associated with the Volhynia massacres , in which the UPA led the slaughter of around 100,000 ethnic Polish civilians, mostly women and children.
The EP said that it “regrets the disregard for Polish sensitivities and grief related to the UPA’s estimated many tens of thousands of victims and their families, especially in the light of Poland’s steadfast support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression”.
Zelensky’s “decision undermines neighbourly relations and previous efforts to address unresolved and painful aspects of bilateral historical relations…and is not in line with European values”, added the EP. However, it expressed hope for “de-escalation and renewed efforts in good faith towards reconciliation”.
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The condemnation of Zelensky’s decision was added as an amendment to a broader resolution that welcomed the recent opening of the EU’s accession negotiations with Kyiv.
It praised Ukraine’s “extraordinary efforts to strengthen its democratic institutions and safeguard the separation of powers during wartime”, noting significant “progress on judicial reform and the fight against corruption”.
The amendment referring to the UPA was proposed by the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament.
Among the EPP’s members are two of Poland’s main ruling parties, the centrist Civic Coalition (KO) of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and its junior coalition partner, the centre-right Polish People’s Party (PSL).
Polish and Ukrainian media have widely quoted Poland's deputy PM as saying: “With Bandera, Ukraine will not enter the EU.”
However, he did not actually speak those words.
We explain what @KosiniakKamysz actually said and how it came to be misinterpreted https://t.co/S3bozRIJTA
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) July 1, 2026
The final version of the resolution was adopted with 460 MEPs voting in favour, 136 against, and 59 abstentions. Andrzej Halicki, the KO MEP who authored the amendment, welcomed the outcome.
“It means that the European Parliament has recognised that there is no place for glorifying the perpetrators of crimes,” he told broadcaster RMF. “This is no longer just a Polish perspective .”
In a further social media post, Halicki said that “everyone who wants to be part of the European community must adhere to the values of the EU”.
In order for a country to join the EU, the approval of all existing member states is needed. Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki , and deputy prime minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz , have previously indicated that Warsaw would not give consent until Ukraine resolves historical issues.
O zbrodniach UPA w Parlamencie Europejskim. UE widzi decyzję Wołodymyra Zełenskiego dotyczącą gloryfikowania UPA w ukraińskim wojsku i odnosi się do niej krytycznie. Rzetelnie wyjaśniamy te kwestie i przypominamy, że pamięć o ofiarach oraz prawda historyczna mają fundamentalne… pic.twitter.com/Ecyre3OQTN
— Andrzej Halicki MEP (@AndrzejHalicki) July 8, 2026
While the EPP’s amendment relating to the UPA dispute was accepted, two other, even tougher proposed texts from other groups – the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Patriots for Europe (PfE) – were rejected.
The ECR, which includes the Polish national-conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, had proposed an amendment that said “no negotiating clusters can be opened as long as Ukraine refuses to recognise the ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the UPA against Poles…[and] the Jewish population”.
PfE, which includes part of Poland’s far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) group, wanted the resolution to refer to the “genocide committed by the UPA”. Poland officially recognises the Volhynia massacres as a genocide but Ukraine strongly rejects that label .
After today’s vote, PiS MEP Michał Dworczyk welcomed the fact that the EP had acknowledged the “criminal activities of the UPA” but said that the resolution eventually adopted was “too mild”.
Dziś Parlament Europejski przyjął sprawozdanie ws Ukrainy. Nie dyskutowano o postępach akcesyjnych, o reformach etc. – dyskutowano o mordach dokonanych przez ukraińskich nacjonalistów z UPA na ludności polskiej…
W dokumencie znalazły się zapisy dotyczące zbrodniczej działaności… pic.twitter.com/DyYnd155iM
— Michał Dworczyk (@michaldworczyk) July 8, 2026
The current crisis began in late May, when Zelensky named a military unit after the “heroes of the UPA”. That prompted Nawrocki to strip him of Poland’s highest honour .
In response, Zelensky cancelled plans to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference that took place in Poland last week and declared that “no one will dictate which heroes we honour”.
Last week, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha visited Warsaw to propose an “anti-crisis package” of measures to de-escalate the dispute. Yesterday, Zelensky and Nawrocki met for the first time since the start of the dispute on the sidelines of the current NATO summit in Turkey.
Long-simmering tensions between Poland and Ukraine over WWII massacres have finally boiled over, prompting a diplomatic crisis. @danieltilles1 looks at how we got here and what it may mean for the two countries and Europe more broadly https://t.co/a8tiYJJHRr
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) June 22, 2026
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Philippe STIRNWEISS © European Union 2026 – Source : EP
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