Media: Poland suspended a major weapons package to Ukraine due to the "UIA Year" controversy
It has been reported that Poland has temporarily suspended the sending of a major military aid package to Ukraine. Ukrainian media sources link this to the decision of the Lviv Regional Council to declare 2027 the year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, stated that Kyiv has promised that the controversial decision will not enter into force.
Media: Poland suspends major arms delivery to Ukraine due to "UPA Year" controversy
"RBC-Ukraine" and "Ukrainska Pravda" reported on October 21, citing their sources, that the decision of the Lviv Regional Council was made at a time when Poland was preparing to send a large package of weapons.
The Council approved dedicating the year 2027 to the UPA, its commander Roman Shukhevych, and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists representative Oleh Olzhych.
According to a source for "RBC-Ukraine," it was precisely after this decision that the delivery of the military assistance package was suspended. Negotiations are being conducted through closed diplomatic channels to resolve the issue. Reports refer to a specific large package of weapons.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki stated in an interview with Polsat News that an agreement had been reached with Kyiv ensuring that the controversial decision would not take effect.
According to him, following Warsaw's intervention, the resolution regarding the "UPA Year" was removed from the Lviv Regional Council's website.
"We trust the Ukrainian government and expect these promises to be fulfilled," Bosacki said.
The attitude toward the UPA is one of the historical disagreements between Poland and Ukraine. In Poland, this organization is held responsible for the mass killings of Poles in Volhynia during World War II.
DW recalls that at the end of May, Volodymyr Zelenskyy conferring the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA" on one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also sparked sharp criticism in Poland.
In June, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy of the country's highest state award — the Order of the White Eagle. Following this, a number of Ukrainian officials and former presidents renounced their Polish state awards.
On July 11, during the commemoration of the victims of the Volhynia tragedy, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that "memory must not serve hatred." Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also emphasized the importance of reconciliation.
On July 17, Zelenskyy announced that a decision had been made to open the archives of the Ukrainian special services regarding the events in Volhynia.