Krakow and Przemyśl Want to Reconsider Their Partnership with Lviv Over the Commemoration of the UPA and Shukhevych

The mayors of the Polish cities of Kraków and Przemyśl have called for a review of their partnership with Lviv following the Lviv Regional Council’s decision to declare 2027 the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and Roman Shukhevych. Kraków is proposing to temporarily suspend cooperation, while Przemyśl is considering the possibility of terminating it entirely.

Wojciech Bakun stated that he had appealed to Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, urging him to clearly articulate his position and publicly distance himself from the Lviv Regional Council’s decision.

In addition, Bakun asked the Przemyśl City Council to consider suspending or terminating the partnership with Lviv. Further steps, he said, will depend on the reaction of the Lviv authorities.

“A city partnership is based on mutual respect, particularly for the historical memory of both communities. If one side honors those responsible for crimes against the ancestors of the other, the city council must assess whether cooperation can continue in its current form,” Bakun stated.

At the same time, the mayor of Przemyśl emphasized that any potential restrictions on cooperation between the cities would not affect humanitarian aid to Ukrainians affected by the war.

Kraków Mayor Łukasz Gibala put forward a similar initiative. During a city council meeting, he proposed temporarily suspending the partnership with Lviv and drafted a corresponding resolution.

According to Gibala, this does not mean a permanent severing of cooperation between the cities. He views the proposed step as a temporary measure.

“We all know that Ukraine is a victim of Russian aggression. We support Ukraine in this struggle, and our partnership with Ukraine is important to us, but this relationship must be built on the basis of historical reconciliation,” the mayor of Kraków noted.

He called on city council members to support his proposal.

Thus, the Lviv Regional Council’s decision to honor the UPA and Roman Shukhevych in 2027 has sparked a debate about the future of Lviv’s partnership with the two Polish cities. Kraków is insisting on a temporary suspension of cooperation, while Przemyśl is considering both a suspension and a possible termination.

This was stated by Przemysl Mayor Wojciech Bakun on Facebook and by the Polish publication LoveKraków.pl, which quotes Krakow Mayor Łukasz Gibala. 

On August 24, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki stated that honoring Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych at the National Pantheon could complicate Ukraine’s European integration. According to him, this could worsen Kyiv’s relations not only with Warsaw but also with Europe as a whole.

Polish Member of the European Parliament Marcin Sipniewski of the “Confederation” party tore up portraits of Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych during a speech in the European Parliament. He also called for an end to financial support for Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the Lviv Regional Council’s decision to declare 2027 the Year of Roman Shukhevych, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, and Oleg Olzhych, harms Ukraine and could be used as an argument by opponents of its accession to the European Union.