Polish municipal disputes over Ukrainian nationalist honors

Polish municipal leaders and activists have raised objections regarding the commemoration of Stepan Bandera and associated nationalist organizations in partner cities in Ukraine.

In Koszalin, President Tomasz Sobieraj issued a formal protest to the Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk regarding activities such as children’s competitions and street naming proposals related to Bandera, the OUN, and the UPA. Sobieraj stated that municipal partnerships must be based on mutual respect and cannot imply silence regarding ideologies that could be interpreted as glorifying individuals responsible for crimes against the Polish population.

Similarly, in Białobrzegi, political activists from Konfederacja and Nowa Nadzieja called for an official protest or the termination of a partnership with Rawa Ruska due to the latter city granting honorary citizenship to Bandera. The activists cited the historical massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. However, the Białobrzegi municipal administration declined to take action, stating that maintaining the cooperation agreement serves as a demonstration of Polish-Ukrainian solidarity.