In joint appeal, Ukrainian and Polish media sound alarm over crisis in relations

Six Polish and Ukrainian media outlets issued a rare joint appeal on June 23, warning that escalating tensions between the two countries risk playing into Russia's hands.

The letter, initiated by Gazeta Wyborcza, one of Poland's leading newspapers, comes amid a deepening diplomatic row sparked by Kyiv naming one of its military units after the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

The move prompted Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip President Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest state honor, with several former and current Ukrainian officials returning their awards in turn.

In their statement, Polish and Ukrainian newsrooms said that the time for historical reconciliation will come after Russia's defeat, warning that the escalating crisis is helping Moscow "drive a wedge between Poles and Ukrainians."

Next to Gazeta Wyborcza, the appeal was signed by the Polish investigative outlet OKO.press; the Ukrainian publications Ukrainska Pravda, European Pravda, and Espreso TV; and Slawa.TV, a Ukrainian television news channel based in Poland.

The letter underscores Polish-Ukrainian solidarity at the outbreak of the full-scale Russian invasion, cautioning that the current crisis is souring public attitudes on both sides of the border.

The latest dispute marks one of the most serious crises between the two neighbors in years.

Experts and historians say the rift stems from diverging views on the UPA, a nationalist resistance movement that fought for Ukraine's independence during and after World War II.

While Ukraine underscores the UPA's legacy of resisting Moscow's rule, in Poland, the group is remembered chiefly as the perpetrator of the 1943-1945 Volyn massacres, mass killings of Poles in what is today western Ukraine, then under Nazi occupation.

Thousands of Ukrainians were killed in retaliatory attacks, with the Volyn massacres remaining one of the most painful chapters in the Polish-Ukrainian history.

Full text of the appeal

Appeal to Poles and Ukrainians / Appeal to Ukrainians and Poles

The crisis that Polish-Ukrainian relations have recently found themselves in causes us serious concern. That is why we have decided to publish a joint statement in Polish and Ukrainian media.

Ukraine has been resisting Putin's criminal aggression for twelve years, and for nearly five years, this aggression has been ongoing in the form of a full-scale war. It is defending Poland and Europe from Russian imperialism.

This defense comes at a dramatic price. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed or wounded, millions have been forced to leave their homes, a significant part of the country is under occupation, and bombs fall on cities and villages every day.

From the first hours of the Russian invasion, Poland, together with its European allies, rushed to aid Ukraine, providing military equipment, financial assistance, humanitarian support, and taking in nearly 2 million Ukrainian refugees. The scale of Polish solidarity with Ukraine in 2022 impressed the world.

Unfortunately, the current tensions are also having a negative effect on attitudes toward Ukrainians, who have become an important part of Polish society, as well as on how Poles are perceived by Ukrainians. This creates an additional challenge for politicians, the media, civil society, and the citizens of both our countries.

We are aware of the tragic chapters in Polish-Ukrainian history that politicians exploit for their own ends. However, our shared task today is to stop Putin's Russia. The time for a serious conversation about the past, acknowledgment of guilt, and reconciliation will come when Ukraine — with the support of its allies — defeats the aggressor.

Russia has for many years been waging a large-scale disinformation campaign and attempting to drive a wedge between Poles and Ukrainians. The current crisis in relations only makes this easier for it.

This is a time of trial for Poles and Ukrainians. Our politicians must show wisdom and good judgment, seek mutual understanding, and find ways out of the crisis. Our societies, in turn, must not give in to manipulation and must continue to support one another. In the name of a shared future in which Poland and Ukraine together can play a key role in the European Union.

In 2013, in a joint statement, Leonid Kuchma, the president of Ukraine (1994-2005), and Aleksander Kwasniewski, the president of Poland (1995-2005), wrote: "On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the tragic events in Volyn, we ask our compatriots to do everything possible so that the commemoration of the victims of past conflicts does not become an instrument of inflaming relations and does not squander the achievements of the reconciliation process between our peoples."

Today, this duty falls upon all of us.

The editorial boards of Gazeta Wyborcza, OKO.press, Slawa TV, Espreso TV, European Pravda, and Ukrainska Pravda.