Poland has called for Ukraine's path to the EU to be halted
A new political controversy has erupted in Poland over Ukraine’s European integration. Przemysław Czarnek, a representative of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, has called on the government to oppose Ukraine’s accession to the European Union due to historical disputes, particularly those surrounding the Volhynia tragedy.
PiS officials state that they will not support Ukraine’s move toward the EU without resolving issues of historical memory. At the same time, Poland remains one of Ukraine’s main allies in confronting Russian aggression.
Przemysław Czarnek, a politician from the Polish Law and Justice (PiS) party and a candidate for the office of Prime Minister of Poland, stated that his political party wants to call on the government to oppose Ukraine’s further progress toward EU membership.
Czarnek reported that PiS has prepared a draft resolution for the Polish Sejm proposing to oppose Ukraine’s accession to the EU due to disputes over the assessment of the events of the Volhynia tragedy. “We are submitting a draft resolution to the Sejm to oppose Ukraine’s accession to the European Union in connection with the glorification of those responsible for the Volhynia massacre. We call on the government to oppose any progress in Ukraine’s integration with the EU,” the Polish politician stated.
According to him, the European Union allegedly cannot admit a country that, in his view, has not resolved disputes surrounding historical issues. “The EU cannot have among its members a state that openly appeals to the most horrific legacy imaginable,” wrote Czarnek. This statement was a continuation of the position previously expressed by other PiS representatives. Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński stated that his political party would not support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union unless Kyiv changed its approach to issues related to Stepan Bandera and the activities of the OUN and UPA.
At the same time, Kaczyński emphasized that Poland had supported Ukraine following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to him, the PiS government, led by Mateusz Morawiecki, provided Ukraine with military, diplomatic, and humanitarian aid. The statements by Polish politicians came on the eve of another anniversary of the Volhynia tragedy—one of the most sensitive issues in Polish-Ukrainian historical relations.
At the same time, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated that historical issues should be resolved through dialogue, rather than becoming an obstacle to the strategic partnership between the countries. Ukraine officially began negotiations on accession to the European Union in 2024. Poland, however, remains one of the key supporters of Ukraine’s European future, although political debates regarding certain aspects of bilateral relations continue within the country. He wrote about this on the social media platform X.
On the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Volhynia Tragedy, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed the public, calling on citizens to preserve historical memory, identify the names of all those who perished, and build a future based on truth and solidarity.
