Kaczyński called for blocking Ukraine's accession to the EU due to historical disputes
Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the Polish opposition party “Law and Justice” (PiS), called on his fellow party members to prevent Ukraine from joining the European Union until Kyiv, in his view, changes its policy toward the OUN and the UPA.
According to the politician, should PiS win the upcoming parliamentary elections, the party will not support Ukraine’s accession to the EU unless the Ukrainian government revises its approach to historical policy.
“Ukraine cannot be admitted to the European Union unless it completely rejects the course it has chosen today… Poland, in its own interest, but also in the interest of European countries, and moreover, in the interests of all of Christian civilization, cannot allow Banderaism—one of the most criminal and inhumane ideologies, which today shapes the consciousness of the Ukrainian nation—to be admitted into this community,” Kaczyński stated.
He also called on party members to use all available political tools to thwart the actions of Donald Tusk’s government, which, he said, are aimed at integrating Ukraine into the EU on preferential terms.
The Polish opposition leader stated that Poland cannot agree to honor individuals whom the country considers responsible for crimes against the Polish population.
In addition, Kaczyński claimed that Poland has incurred significant financial costs in supporting Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war.
“Without broad external support, particularly from Poland, Ukrainian taxpayers are unable to maintain a combat-ready army and ensure the basic functioning of their state,” he said.
The politician also criticized the decision to name one of the Ukrainian military units after figures whom Poland holds responsible for the Volhynia tragedy, calling it unacceptable.
This is stated in a letter that Kaczyński sent to party members.
Ukraine is seeking ways to reduce tensions in its relations with Poland, and the issue of historical memory remains an important component of the bilateral dialogue.
Earlier, Poland described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s introduction of a bill to establish a National Pantheon as “actions of an escalatory nature.” Kyiv’s decision sparked a political reaction in Warsaw.
Poland has launched the official process of establishing a permanent U.S. military base on its territory. The government has already adopted a corresponding decision, and the defense minister has been authorized to negotiate with the U.S. side and prepare the necessary infrastructure.
More than a thousand U.S. service members are leaving Lithuania following the completion of a scheduled rotation. At the same time, the timing of the next contingent’s arrival and its size remain undetermined, the country’s defense minister stated.
Following inspections in May, the two largest payment terminal networks—EasyPay (LLC “FC ‘Kontraktovy Dom’”) and City24 (LLC “Swift Garant”)—were hit with massive fines: 135 million hryvnias each.
