Zelensky proposes Ukrainian National Pantheon, igniting diplomatic dispute with Poland

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a draft law to create a National Pantheon that would permanently record the names of all persons who fought for Ukraine across centuries. In his Constitution Day address he said, “Nikt i nigdy nie będzie nam nakazywał, jak żyć, jak mówić, kogo kochać, komu być wdzięcznym i jakich bohaterów szanować” (“No one will ever dictate how we live, what we say, whom we love or which heroes we honour”).

The proposal follows a controversial May decision to name a special‑operations unit “Heroes of the UPA,” reviving the long‑standing Polish‑Ukrainian clash over the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which Poland regards as responsible for wartime massacres of Poles. In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle; Zelensky returned the award and several current and former Ukrainian officials also surrendered Polish decorations.

The row has broadened into a diplomatic dispute. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has offered to mediate, while Polish members of the European Parliament have tabled a resolution commemorating the Polish victims of UPA atrocities. Polish politicians have also announced legislation to curb military aid to Ukraine. The escalation underscores the sensitivity of historical memory in the bilateral relationship and has drawn attention from other European actors.

Zelensky’s pantheon initiative therefore marks both a domestic effort to consolidate national memory and a flashpoint in Ukraine’s foreign relations, particularly with Poland.