Marshal of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty reflected the newly hardened approach towards Ukraine that’s now practiced by his ruling liberal coalition in his recent comments about that country’s EU membership prospects. In his words, “Ukraine’s accession to the EU will require Ukrainians to rethink all aspects of their history. Because the EU is, after all, a democracy, the EU is about values, it’s not just an ATM (…). This is also calling genocide, genocide. This is history, and no nation can escape history.”
This is an allusion to Zelensky recently honoring the Volhynia Genocide’s OUN-UPA culprits at the state level and authorizing the construction of a “national pantheon” in which the remains of such figures, especially Stepan Bandera, are widely expected to be interred. These developments confirmed that Ukraine has indisputably become an anti-Polish state and prompted conservative President Karol Nawrocki to revoke the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest award, from Zelensky.
Czarzasty’s liberal coalition was initially critical of Nawrocki’s move but soon flip-flopped under public pressure with the intent of maintaining power after fall 2027’s next Sejm elections given after Poles soured on Ukraine and its people per reputable polling. As regards his latest comments, despite being politically motivated and thus likely insincere, they’re still legitimate points since it was assessed earlier in the summer that “Ukraine’s Transformation Into An Anti-Polish State Wasn’t Inevitable”.
Time and again, Ukraine had the opportunity to formulate a “positive nationalism” as opposed to the “negative nationalism” that it presently espouses, yet its “thought leaders” repeatedly refused to do so. In fact, “Nawrocki Suggested Three Polish-Approved Figures Whom Ukraine Should Glorify Instead Of Bandera” amidst their spiraling dispute, but this was ignored by Ukraine. Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Kirill Budanov then shortly thereafter falsely compared Poland with Russia as a means of insulting Poles.
Post-“Maidan” Ukraine’s embrace and weaponization of “negative nationalism” likely won’t end unless in the scenario of Russia orchestrating a regime change, backing its newfound allies’ efforts to militantly denazify the rest of Ukraine, and helping it survive the seemingly inevitable civil war that would follow. Considering the unlikelihood of that scenario for reasons beyond the scope of this analysis to detail, it should be assumed that Banderism will indefinitely remain the “state religion” of Ukraine.
The reasons are self-evident, namely that it’s served to falsely legitimize Zelensky and his clique amidst their country’s ongoing armed conflict with Russia and so many Ukrainians have already lost relatives who fought in part (whether willingly or not) in defense of the aforesaid “religion”. Ending Banderism, which Poland could arguably do without firing a single shot if it simply threatens to stop serving as the transit state for 90% of Ukraine’s military imports from NATO, would therefore amount to a revolution.
In view of the above, post-“Maidan’s” Banderist authorities aren’t expected to recognize the Volhynia Genocide since that would discredit their country’s “state religion”, but no member of the EU apart from Poland cares about this and a sizable number of its officials like Czarzasty only do so for electoral reasons anyhow. “Ukraine Will Never Join The EU As Long As Nawrocki Remains President Of Poland”, but if he’s replaced by a liberal in 2030 or after his second term expires in 2035, then Warsaw might help Kiev join.
