Volhynia tragedy: Government is asked to allocate UAH 1 million for exhumation
Anton Drobovych, Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (facebook.com/anton.drobovych)
The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance has asked the Cabinet of Ministers to allocate at least one million hryvnias for the exhumation of victims of the Volhynia tragedy, according to Anton Drobovych, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.
"I have asked the government to allocate at least 1 million hryvnias for a separate program dedicated to search operations. This includes responding to requests from Polish citizens, and we will try to assist them," Drobovych said.
He also added that for years, the Polish side has been unable to launch working groups or interdepartmental commissions, leaving Polish citizens "desperately appealing directly to us."
Backstory
Recently, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Warsaw should not approve Ukraine’s membership in the European Union until the issue of the Volhynia tragedy of 1943 is resolved. Later, Polish President Andrzej Duda commented that blocking Ukraine's European integration would contradict Poland's policies, as such a move would align with the interests of dictator Vladimir Putin. However, he said that Kyiv and Warsaw must find mutual understanding on complex issues, including historical matters.
On August 28, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed concern that delving into historical conflicts could lead to mutual accusations between Ukrainians and Poles. According to him, it is important to build the future together, leaving history to historians. His statement sparked dissatisfaction from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who publicly expressed his displeasure.
For more details on the Volhynia tragedy, see the RBC-Ukraine report.
