The key facts

  • In October, the Lviv Regional Council declared 2027 the year of Shukhevych, the UPA and Oleh Olzhych
  • Tusk stated that the decision harms Ukraine and could lead to a blockade of its EU accession
  • The Polish Foreign Ministry added the author of the initiative, Sviatoslav Sheremet, to the list of undesirable persons

Reaction of the Polish Prime Minister

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the decision of the Lviv Regional Council to proclaim 2027 the year of Roman Shukhevych, the UPA and OUN figure Oleh Olzhych. His words were quoted by RMF24. “I appeal to all our partners in Kyiv, to those who understand how important good relations and allied cooperation between Poland and Ukraine are: it is your responsibility to prevent such things from happening. Such demonstrations harm only Ukraine and help those who wish it ill,” Tusk said.

Warning about EU accession

The Polish Prime Minister warned that such decisions could become the reason for blocking Ukraine's accession to the European Union. According to him, he does not understand such tactics by the Ukrainian authorities. Tusk emphasized that this is not about problems for Warsaw, but about problems for Kyiv.

Reaction of the Polish authorities

The Lviv Regional Council declared 2027 the year of Shukhevych, the UPA and Oleh Olzhych in October. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called this decision “unacceptable.” The head of the country's Foreign Ministry, Radosław Sikorski, announced the addition of Lviv Regional Council deputy Sviatoslav Sheremet, the author of this idea, to the list of undesirable persons.