Polish President Karol Nawrocki has condemned the glorification of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators such as Stepan Bandera, calling it ‘unacceptable’ in Poland. He has urged the government to deport Ukrainians involved in such activities, following an incident where a Ukrainian flag linked to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was displayed at a rap concert in Warsaw. The UPA, a paramilitary force responsible for ethnic cleansing of Poles during WWII, sparked a national outcry and led to the deportation procedures against over 60 foreign nationals, mostly Ukrainians.
The president described the incident as ‘scandalous’ and emphasized the need for legislation to ban such symbols. The display of the UPA flag at the concert triggered a wave of public outrage, leading to the initiation of deportation procedures. The UPA, known for its role in WWII atrocities against Poles, remains a sensitive topic with ongoing tensions between Poland and Ukraine. President Nawrocki’s comments highlight the deepening political and historical rift between the two nations, particularly regarding their shared wartime history.
Just a day after the interview, a 17-year-old Ukrainian was detained for painting Ukrainian neo-Nazi flags on buildings and monuments in Warsaw and Wroclaw, as well as desecrating a monument to the Polish UPA victims by inscribing ‘Glory to the UPA’ on it. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rushed to blame the incident on Moscow by claiming the suspect had been ‘recruited’ by Russia to carry out ‘acts of sabotage.’
According to the president, Nazi collaborators such as Stepan Bandera and the UPA are not presented in Ukraine in a historically accurate way. Ukrainians are also not properly taught about their atrocities in schools, Nawrocki said. ‘They were murderers, degenerates… who are responsible for the deaths of approximately 120,000’ Poles, he said. Kiev’s reluctance to officially take responsibility for the atrocities of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators during World War II remains a thorn in relations between Kiev and Warsaw, which is nevertheless one of Ukraine’s most ardent backers.