The flag above Lublin flew alongside the Polish and EU flags since 2022, when it was raised as a gesture of solidarity following Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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However, the blue and yellow flag was taken down sometime between Friday and Saturday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree granting the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces Separate Special Operations Center “North” the title of “UPA heroes.”
In Ukraine, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) may be respected for its role in the fight for the country’s independence, while in Poland it is associated with the Volhynia massacres, during which Ukrainian nationalists killed tens of thousands of Polish civilians between 1943 and 1945 – events regarded in Poland as an act of genocide, reports “TVP World”.
Zelensky’s decree caused a significant diplomatic reaction in Poland. The country’s nationalist president Karol Nawrocki stated that he would also seek to have Zelensky stripped of Poland’s highest state award – the Order of the White Eagle.
What the Poles are angry about
Lublin city officials said the decision to take down the flag was “directly related” to Zelensky’s recently adopted decree.
“Glorifying formations responsible for crimes against civilians harms the historical memory of our nation, wounds the memory of Polish victims, and complicates sincere dialogue between our countries,” the city said in a statement to the Polish news agency “Interia”.
The statement added that “despite this decision, Lublin remains an open and hospitable city, faithful to the values it has long upheld in international cooperation.”
“At the same time, we will continue to demand respect for historical truth and dignified commemoration of the victims of tragic events in Polish-Ukrainian relations,” it added.
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Lublin, a large city in eastern Poland less than 100 km from the Ukrainian border, was a major logistics and humanitarian center for thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The city still hosts a large Ukrainian community and remains an important transit point to and from Ukraine, reports “TVP World”.
UPA’s activities and the Volhynia massacres have cast a shadow over Polish-Ukrainian relations for decades, with Warsaw torn between further support for Kyiv in the war with Russia and efforts to resolve unresolved historical grievances.
Ukraine considers UPA primarily an anti-Soviet, not anti-Polish organization
According to historians, between 1943 and 1945 Ukrainian nationalists killed 40–60 thousand Polish citizens in Volhynia, 20–40 thousand in Eastern Galicia, and at least 4 thousand in present-day Polish territory. According to the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, about 10–12 thousand Ukrainians were killed in Polish retaliatory operations until spring 1945.
The Polish-Ukrainian dispute over the historical role of the UPA has weighed on relations between the two countries for many years. While Poland holds it responsible for the mass killings of its citizens, Ukraine argues that these events were part of a broader conflict for which both sides are responsible.
Ukraine also considers the UPA primarily an anti-Soviet, not anti-Polish organization.
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