Poland condemns Lviv region's plan to honor UPA leader Shukhevych

On October 20, the Lviv Oblast council approved decrees that would label 2027 as the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, the Year of Roman Shukhevych and the Year of poet Oleh Olzhych. Poland’s charge d'affaires in Kyiv, along with the Polish defence and foreign ministries, condemned the initiative, stating that glorifying the UPA and its leaders runs contrary to European values and does not foster mutual trust. The Ukrainian foreign ministry warned that the regional decision, made without consultation with the central government, is counterproductive to the recent progress in Ukrainian-Polish ties.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he would seek to place the council’s cultural committee head, Sviatoslav Sheremeta, on Poland’s undesirable persons list. The dispute revives longstanding tensions over the UPA’s legacy, particularly the Volyn massacres, and comes as both countries navigate broader diplomatic challenges.