Poland threatens to block Ukraine’s EU path over Bandera issue
Photo: Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (Getty Images)
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that his country will not agree to Ukraine's accession to the EU if Kyiv does not stop honoring a number of historical figures, according to his interview with Polsat News.
During the conversation, the official said that Ukraine will face serious problems with joining the European Union if the country continues to use the OUN and UPA as national symbols.
"We (in the EU – ed.) should not put on a pedestal those who destroy European cooperation. With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union. No one will tell us how to vote on the accession of this or that country to the European Union," he said.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also agreed with the host's suggestion that there are allegedly certain forces in Kyiv that do not want Ukraine to join the European Union.
In addition, he noted that every country must comply with strict requirements during EU accession, including those regarding historical memory. He said that one cannot build cooperation within the bloc on respect for figures or movements that cause pain, rejection, and spread lies about neighboring countries in the bloc.
What preceded this
At the end of May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree assigning one of the units the name named after the Heroes of the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army).
After this, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, and mutual rejection of awards by the Ukrainian and Polish sides began.
Against this backdrop, the leader of the Polish Law and Justice party (PiS), Jarosław Kaczyński, called on Warsaw to block new rounds of negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession.
It also became known in recent days that a poll was conducted, which showed that the majority of Polish citizens oppose Ukraine's accession to the bloc.
