Zelensky finally crossed the line with most Poles and completely disgusted them by giving an elite commando unit the honorary name of “Heroes of the ‘Ukrainian Insurgent Army’ (UPA)”. For those readers who aren’t aware, the UPA was the “Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists’” (OUN) armed wing that was responsible for the Volhynia Genocide of over 100,000 Poles, mostly women and children. One of its former leaders, Andrey Melnik, just had his remains repatriated and reburied with honors in Kiev.
That was already infuriating for many Poles as explained here, but it’s an even deeper insult to them and the victims of the Volhynia Genocide for an active commando unit to be named after the UPA. This glorification of literal fascists and Nazi collaborators also sends the signal, whether intentionally or not, that the post-conflict “competitive relationship” with Poland that Zelensky’s top aid Mikhail Podolyak predicted in summer 2023 could lead to the revival of Ukrainian claims over southeastern Poland.
That dark scenario was elaborated on here in fall 2024 after the current leader of the OUN implicitly threatened Poland with such a possibility in response to a shitpost map showing Western Ukraine as Polish. Poland’s “Operation Trident”, which aims to thwart a post-conflict Ukrainian crime wave, might thus also have the dual purpose of thwarting a post-conflict Ukrainian insurgency. Germany’s new military patronage of Ukraine also unnerves Poles due to their wartime collaboration against them.
Speculation about Ukraine’s post-conflict intentions aside, conservative Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced that he’ll request the revocation from Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle during the chapter’s next meeting on 8 June, which decides to whom to bestow Poland’s highest civilian honor. Zelensky received it from Nawrocki’s predecessor Andrzej Duda in 2023, but Polish activist Małgorzata Zych called on Nawrocki to revoke it after Zelensky reburied Melnik repatriated remains with honors.
After Zelensky’s UPA scandal, Confederation MP Grzegorz Płaczek submitted an official request about this to Nawrocki, which prompted his announcement the day after. In between both, Przemysław Czarnek, the conservative opposition’s prime ministerial candidate in fall 2027’s next elections, posted on X that “The Ambassador of Ukraine should be immediately summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Polish authorities must demand clear explanations and a retraction of this decision.”
He added that “If Zelenskyy does not reverse this scandalous gesture, Poland should move from diplomatic statements to real political actions and consequences in bilateral relations, including limitations on support.” This hints that the possible return of his party to power next fall, potentially in coalition with the populist-nationalist Confederation party whose co-leader lambasted Czarnek’s and his rival’s party for not attaching anti-fascist strings to Polish aid for Ukraine, could lead to a harder policy.
If Zelensky goes through with reburying the infamous Stepan Bandera’s repatriated remains like Polish media reported is being considered and isn’t opposed by his descendants, then liberal Prime Minister Donald Tusk might feel pressured by the public into adopting a relatively harder policy than today’s. That’s because his ruling liberal coalition would risk a landslide defeat next fall if they continued business as usual in the event that Zelensky gives Bandera a hero’s burial in Kiev like many now expect him to do.
