Polish leaders move to block Ukraine's EU accession and ban UPA symbols over Volhynia dispute

Law and Justice (PiS) politicians Jarosław Kaczyński and Przemysław Czarnek announced plans to submit a Sejm resolution opposing Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, arguing that the Ukrainian state continues to glorify the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the 1943‑44 Volhynia massacres of Poles. President Karol Nawrocki, speaking at commemorations of the massacre, pledged to introduce legislation outlawing the red‑and‑black UPA flag, likening it to Nazi “Blood and Soil” symbolism. Across Poland, ceremonies in Brzesko, Bochnia, Radruż and other towns marked the 83rd anniversary of the killings, with monuments, wreath‑laying and calls to fund a museum and truth‑and‑reconciliation centre for the victims. The dispute has spilled into diplomatic relations: Warsaw revoked the Order of the White Eagle awarded to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he named a Ukrainian unit “Heroes of the UPA,” and Ukrainian officials returned several Polish decorations. A recent poll showed that a majority of Poles favour cooperation between Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government and President Nawrocki on Ukraine policy, underscoring the domestic political weight of the issue. The controversy highlights Poland’s use of historical memory to influence contemporary EU enlargement and bilateral ties with Kyiv.