The Sejm adopted the Act on the establishment on July 11 as a day of memory of Poles – victims of the genocide made by the OUN -UPA in the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic. Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz positively assessed this decision, indicating that “only in historical truth can we build mutual relations.” Meanwhile, Ukraine expressed reservations about the adopted act.
Key facts:
- On July 11, the Day of Remembrance for Poles – victims of the genocide made by the OUN -UPA in the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic, will be a public holiday.
- It commemorates – as it was written in the Act – the crimes they committed “in 1939–1946 Ukrainian nationalists”.
- The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed his reservations to the Sejm's decision. It was estimated that the law “conflicts with the spirit of good neighborly relations.” “We have to solve problems together, not tighten them,” it was written.
On Wednesday, the Polish Sejm adopted the Act on the establishment of July 11 as the Memorial of Poles – Victims of the genocide made by the OUN -UPA in the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz He referred to this parliament decision. “July 11 will be a day of memory of Poles – victims of the genocide made by the OUN -UPA in the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic. The relevant act by PSL already voted in the Sejm. We care about memory and strengthen identity, because only in historical truth can we build mutual relations” – he wrote on platform X.
Thousands of Poles murdered. This “deserves heart”
The act reminded that “in 1939–1946 Ukrainian nationalists from the organization of Ukrainian nationalists (OUN), Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and other Ukrainian nationalist formations operating in the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic (Volhynia, Tarnopol, Stanisławów, Lviv, Poleskie) and the current voivodships) and the current voivodships Lublin and Podkarpackie made the Polish crime of genocide to the population. “
“They murdered over one hundred thousand Poles, mainly the inhabitants of the village, destroyed their property and led to refugee from the Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic. Hundreds of thousands of Poles. The apogee of this crime falls in July 1943, and the symbolic date of the hecatoms of Poles at the hands of Ukrainian nationalists is July 11, 1943, when Poles were murdered in about a hundred.” The adopted law proclaims. “Martyr's death due to belonging to the Polish nation deserves by heart in the form of a day distinguished by the Polish state every year, in which victims will be paid tribute” – we read in the Act.
The National Day of Remembrance for Poles – victims of the genocide made by the OUN and UPA in the eastern territories of the Second Polish Republic, is to be a public holiday.
Source: Darek Delmanowicz/PAP
Reservations of the Ukrainian side
On Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev issued a statement in which the Act adopted by the Sejm.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine evaluates the decision of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland to establish on July 11 as the Memorial Day of the Victims of the so -called 'genocide made by the CNS and UPA in the eastern areas of the Second Polish Republic' as such, which is in contradiction with the spirit of good neighborly relations between Ukraine and Poland, ' – said.
It was estimated that “such one -sided steps” are not conducive to mutual agreement and reconciliation, which two countries work on, among others As part of the common Ukrainian-Polish Historical Dialogue Group, which is involved in the involvement of ministries of culture and the Institutes of National Remembrance of two countries.
“Ukraine is consistently in favor of scientific, deprived of the study of difficult cards of common history. We are convinced that the path to true reconciliation leads through dialogue, mutual respect and joint work of historians, and not through unilateral political assessments,” says the statement.
Ukrainian diplomacy called the Polish side to refrain from actions that could lead to an increase in tension in mutual relations and undermine the achievements obtained thanks to the constructive dialogue and cooperation between Ukraine and Poland. “Despite the prejudices and the political context of the resolution (the Act-ed.) Of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, we continue the way of implementing search and exhumation works on the territory of Ukraine and Poland. We already have specific results in this respect, which should also be developed in the future,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev.
“Once again, we remind you: Poles should not look for enemies among Ukrainians, and Ukrainians – among Poles. We have in common enemy – this is Russia. For common strength, freedom and safety of our two friendly countries, we must solve problems together, not to sharpen them” – he added.
Author/author: AKR/ADS
Source: PAP
Source of the main photo: Vladyslav Musienko/PAP