Poland‑Ukraine memory clash erupts over Zelensky’s decision to name unit after UPA heroes

Polish and Ukrainian historians Grzegorz Motyka and Jarosław Hrycak discussed a deepening memory dispute between the two countries. They noted that past attempts at reconciliation – from the 1658 Habsburg union to the Solidarity movement – have largely failed, saying the current crisis is “dramatic”.

The controversy centres on a decision by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration to name a military unit after the “Heroes of the UPA”, a move Motyka called a lack of respect for Polish historical sensitivity. Hrycak suggested the naming was either an automatic bureaucratic act, a political gesture by officials around General Kyrylo Budanov, or a maneuver aimed at influencing western‑central Ukrainian voters ahead of elections.

Polish public opinion responded with sharp outrage, condemning the decision as an endorsement of the UPA’s alleged war crimes against Poles. The debate has revived a broader Polish‑Ukrainian “war of memory” that threatens bilateral relations.