In the video recorded by one of the girls, a man described as middle-aged and elegantly dressed can be heard ranting and swearing, telling the girls to “f*** Ukraine.”
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He also attacks a girl who stands up to defend the child. It can be seen how one of the girls tries to defend herself, and at one point another is heard asking the man not to touch her. However, the man only becomes more enraged, and profanities pour from his mouth.
Caused a wave of outrage
Poland’s Minister of the Interior, Marcin Kierwiński, stated that “the state will respond decisively to any forms of aggression.”
The local police said in a statement that xenophobia will not be tolerated.
According to “TVP World,” the bus company handed over security camera footage to the authorities, from which it was determined that the culprit is a 54-year-old driver of the same public transport company, currently on long-term health leave.
The video sparked a wide wave of outrage online, with many Ukrainian users saying that such insults in Poland are neither new nor rare.
“It doesn’t take much brains”
The incident was also addressed by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who announced on the social network “Facebook” that the man had already been detained.
“The ‘hero’ of the bus in Poland ‘fought’ with children and women with words. It doesn’t take much brains or courage,” wrote the head of Ukrainian diplomacy.
According to him, upon learning about the incident, the Ukrainian side appealed to Polish law enforcement agencies to properly respond to the man’s inappropriate behavior and the humiliation of Ukrainian dignity based on nationality.
“This person is now detained. We thank the Polish law enforcement agencies for their quick and proper response. Such aggression and hatred must not be tolerated in a European democratic society and state,” emphasized A. Sybiha.
He also urged some Polish politicians to “stop inciting hatred against Ukraine and Ukrainians, which fuels anti-Ukrainian sentiments in Polish society.”
Right-wing politicians blamed
It is the right-wing Polish politicians who have faced a wave of public accusations for inciting anti-Ukrainian sentiments.
This issue has come to the forefront in recent weeks due to a diplomatic dispute between Warsaw and Kyiv, sparked by the contentious shared history of both countries.
The dispute revolves around the massacres of Poles by Ukrainian nationalist groups during World War II – a topic that has long stirred nationalist feelings in Poland.
As reported last week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during the NATO summit in Ankara, he spoke with Polish President Karol Nawrocki and wanted to discuss historical disagreements between the countries.
K. Nawrocki stated that Russia remains a common enemy of Ukraine and Poland, but on the issue of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which V. Zelensky called one of the armed forces units in honor, he will not give in.
Meanwhile, Polish right-wingers have already announced that they will block Ukraine’s accession to the European Union until Ukraine renounces the UPA and Bandera as part of its pantheon of historical heroes.
Additionally, the Polish president stated that he will seek an official ban on the use of the red-and-black flag in Poland, as he considers it a symbol of the UPA and OUN. According to him, the use of the red-and-black UPA flag in Poland is unacceptable because these colors embody the “ideology of Ukrainian nationalists.”
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