The latest controversy in Polish–Ukrainian relations was triggered by a decree signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in May 2026. Marking the anniversary of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces, Zelensky awarded the Independent Special Operations Center "North"—one of the country's elite commando units—the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA."
The decree described the move as part of an effort to restore the historical traditions of Ukraine's armed forces and recognized the unit's distinguished service in defending the country's independence and territorial integrity during the war against Russia.
Poland's reaction was immediate and remarkably unified. Politicians across the political spectrum—from the left to the conservative right—condemned the decision. Government officials called it unacceptable, arguing that it wounds the memory of the victims of the Volhynia massacres. Poland's Foreign Ministry also warned that the move could provide fresh ammunition for Russian propaganda by allowing the Kremlin to portray Ukraine in a negative light and undermine Western support for Kyiv.
For many Ukrainians, the intensity of the Polish response can seem puzzling. Ukraine is fighting a war for survival against Russia, and Poland remains one of its closest allies. Why, then, does every official tribute to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) trigger such strong reactions in Warsaw?
To many Western observers, the dispute may appear to be just another historical quarrel from Eastern Europe. In reality, it touches on far deeper questions: the memory of victims, competing national narratives, and whether it is possible to honor an organization that both fought for freedom and committed mass atrocities.
One Acronym, Two Very Different Historical Memories
At the heart of the controversy lies a fundamental difference in how Poles and Ukrainians remember the same organization.
What Many Ukrainians See
For many Ukrainians, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) represents resistance and the struggle for national independence. Its fighters battled Soviet forces, resisted the NKVD, and sought to preserve the dream of an independent Ukrainian state long after World War II.
Following Russia's aggression in 2014 and its full-scale invasion in 2022, this aspect of history became even more important. In the eyes of many Ukrainians, the UPA symbolizes resistance to Russian imperialism. For today's soldiers fighting near Bakhmut, Avdiivka, or Kharkiv, it forms part of a tradition of fighting for freedom.
This is why many Ukrainians do not understand Polish protests. From their perspective, criticism of the UPA looks like an attack on Ukrainian national heroes during wartime.
What Poles See
In Poland, however, the UPA is remembered very differently.
For most Poles, the organization is inseparable from the Volhynia massacres and the mass killings of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during World War II. The victims were overwhelmingly civilians—women, children, and the elderly. According to Polish historians, more than 100,000 Poles were killed. In Poland, these events are widely recognized as genocide.
An important detail often overlooked abroad is that both the perpetrators and the victims were, in legal terms, citizens of the Second Polish Republic. At the time of the massacres, an independent Ukrainian state did not exist.
Therefore, when the Ukrainian state honors the UPA, many Poles do not see it as a commemoration of the struggle for independence but rather as a glorification of an organization responsible for the deaths of their compatriots.
This difference in historical memory is what many foreign observers fail to appreciate. For most Ukrainians, the UPA symbolizes resistance to Soviet rule. For most Poles, it is remembered first and foremost for the mass killing of Polish civilians.
That is why many in Warsaw argue that an organization responsible for ethnic cleansing cannot be celebrated without openly confronting that part of its legacy, regardless of its later role in resisting communism.
Why Is This Dispute So Emotional?
Let’s imagine a scenario in which a European state honors a military formation solely for its struggle against totalitarianism, while ignoring that the same formation had previously committed mass crimes against civilians. This is how many Poles perceive Ukraine's contemporary historical policy toward the UPA.
The problem is not acknowledging that the UPA fought against the Soviets. The problem is that the Ukrainian state often highlights only this aspect of the organization's activities while downplaying or remaining silent about its responsibility for crimes against Poles.
Why Is the Issue Especially Painful Right Now?
There is another important context that is often overlooked abroad. For many years, Poland has sought permission to conduct full-scale searches and exhumations of the victims of Volhynia. For the families of those murdered, this is a matter of basic human dignity: finding the remains of their loved ones and providing them with a proper burial.
In Poland, there is a widespread feeling that this process has progressed too slowly and has long faced administrative obstacles on the Ukrainian side.
Therefore, when gestures honoring the UPA appear at the same time, many Poles perceive them as a lack of empathy toward the victims. In their view, it appears as though the memory of the perpetrators is considered more important than the memory of the murdered civilians.
Does This Dispute Mean the End of the Polish-Ukrainian Alliance?
No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions promoted both by Russian propaganda and by some foreign commentators. Poland's criticism of Zelensky's decree does not signify a change in its geopolitical course.
Warsaw remains one of Kyiv's most important partners. The overwhelming majority of Poland's political elites still regard Russia as the main threat to European security and support Ukraine's struggle for independence. At the same time, Poles expect that a close partnership should be based on mutual respect and understanding, including respect for difficult historical issues.
Criticism of the UPA does not mean support for the Russian narrative. On the contrary, many Polish politicians argue that glorifying the UPA provides the Kremlin with ready-made arguments for its propaganda about a "Nazi Ukraine."
From Warsaw's perspective, such decisions do not strengthen Kyiv but rather make it more difficult for Ukraine to maintain international support.
What Should Ukrainians Understand?
Most Poles do not question Ukraine's right to its own national memory or to honor people who fought for the country's independence. The problem arises when the memory of the struggle for freedom completely overshadows the memory of the victims.
Polish outrage stems not primarily from hostility toward Ukraine. Rather, it comes from the belief that genuine reconciliation between nations requires acknowledgment of the full historical truth, including its most painful aspects.
For many Poles, Ukraine's path toward full integration with the European Union does not run solely through economic reforms, military successes, or membership in Western institutions. It also requires an honest confrontation with its own history.
Katarzyna Semaan, Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy