Poland's Lublin Voivodeship is ending its partnership with the Lviv Oblast — RMF24

On Monday, the Sejmik of the Lublin Voivodeship in Poland unanimously supported a resolution to terminate its partnership with the Lviv Oblast. The reason was the Lviv Oblast Council’s decision to declare 2027 the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

All 30 members of the Sejmik present at Monday’s session voted in favor of the resolution to terminate the agreement on economic, trade, scientific, technical, and cultural cooperation between the Lublin Voivodeship and the Lviv Oblast.

Voivodeship Marshal Jarosław Stawiarski of the Law and Justice party stated that there would be no partnership with “those who glorify criminals.”

“This is not a resolution that closes off many avenues. It is a symbol that must be heard loud and clear. There can be no reconciliation without the truth. This truth must prevail,” said the Marshal of the Lublin Voivodeship. 

“They must realize how important this is to us. That is why I am categorically in favor of ending this cooperation,” stated Lech Spravka, deputy chairman of the regional council from the Law and Justice party.

MP Krzysztof Hawlaszewicz noted that the Ukrainians had time to renounce the decision regarding the “Year of the UPA”: “We gave them until today, but they did not renounce it.”

“Poles opened the doors of their homes and their hearts to help Ukrainians fleeing the war. That is precisely why the decision to glorify people who killed Poles, incited murder, and were responsible for genocide is so strange,” said Marek Kos of “The Third Way.”

It is worth noting that this refers to a 2004 cooperation agreement between the Lviv Oblast and the Lublin Voivodeship.

RMF24 reports on this.

From Brotherhood to Mutual Claims: How Relations Between Ukraine and Poland Have Changed Over Four Years.

Zelenskyy sent Tusk a message regarding the Lviv Regional Council’s decision on the Year of the UPA.

The Speaker of the Polish Sejm called Ukraine’s decision regarding the UPA “foolish” and called for dialogue.

Kraków and Przemyśl want to reconsider their partnership with Lviv due to the commemoration of the UPA and Shukhevych.

On August 24, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki stated that honoring Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych in 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 is harmful to Ukraine and could be used as an argument by opponents of its accession to the European Union.