Ukraine criticizes Lviv council's UPA tribute as Poland moves to bar its initiator
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has criticized a regional council's decision to dedicate 2027 to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and two nationalist figures, as Poland's foreign minister moved to bar the Ukrainian lawmaker behind the initiative from entering the country.
On Oct. 20, the Lviv Regional Council voted to designate 2027 as a year honoring the UPA, its commander Roman Shukhevych, and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) figure Oleh Olzhych.
The decision drew sharp criticism in Poland, where Shukhevych and the UPA are associated with the mass killings of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during World War II.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on Oct. 21 that he had signed a request to place Lviv regional council member Sviatoslav Sheremeta, who proposed the tribute, on Poland's list of undesirable foreigners. The request does not itself confirm an entry ban.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the council's decision counterproductive to efforts to strengthen relations with Poland, warning that regional political decisions must not undermine Ukraine's national interests, particularly its security and European integration.
The ministry also urged Poland to avoid steps that could disrupt the recent normalization of bilateral relations.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the initiative a “suicidal tactic,” while officials in several Polish cities raised the possibility of suspending partnerships with Lviv.
Posts announcing the council's decision were subsequently removed from its website and social media accounts, according to Polish news agency PAP.