The Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Responded Sharply to Budanov Over the Volyn Tragedy
Piotr Zgorzelski, Deputy Marshal of the Polish Sejm, sharply criticized a statement by Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, regarding events marking the anniversary of the Volhynia tragedy. The Polish politician stated that if Budanov does not know what happened on July 11, 1943, then he should “get down on his knees right there in the open field.”
Zgorzelski also emphasized that Poland will continue to insist on recognizing the Volhynia tragedy as genocide, conducting exhumations of the victims, and raising these issues during future negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
The Deputy Marshal of the Sejm was responding to remarks by Kirill Budanov, who had previously stated that Poland was preparing a series of “immature escalatory steps” ahead of the anniversary of the Volhynia tragedy. According to the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Ukraine will not accept “ultimatums from anyone in the world,” and the greatest tension in relations between the two countries may occur precisely on July 11.
Piotr Zgorzelski stated that he does not understand this assessment. “I will respond to him as follows: Mr. Budanov, if you consider prayer in a church to be a provocation, then you really should think carefully about what you are saying,” said the deputy speaker of the Polish parliament. According to him, the commemorative events on July 11 in Poland will begin precisely with church services and prayer.
The politician also noted that he is one of the co-authors of the law designating July 11 as the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide Committed by Ukrainian Nationalists Against Citizens of the Second Polish Republic. Zgorzelski emphasized that, according to Polish historiography, July 11, 1943, marked the culmination of the Volhynia tragedy. “Ninety-nine settlements were attacked simultaneously. It was a genocide carried out with particular brutality. And if Mr. Budanov doesn’t know what happened there, let him get down on his knees right there in the open field,” the Polish politician stated.
He was referring to the events known in Poland as “Bloody Sunday.” According to Polish estimates, it was on this very day that mass attacks took place against dozens of Polish settlements. Separately, Zgorzelski stated that Poland expects Ukraine to take further steps regarding historical memory. “Most of the victims still have no graves. This is precisely what we, as Poles, are advocating for today,” he said, commenting on the issue of systematic exhumations.
The Deputy Marshal of the Sejm also criticized the glorification of certain figures in the Ukrainian nationalist movement and stated that historical issues should be one of the topics of negotiations regarding Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. “Poland must say: ‘Stop—Bandera cannot enter the European Union,’” Zgorzelski declared.
He echoed the position of his party colleague, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who had previously stated on multiple occasions that Ukraine would not be able to become an EU member without resolving historical disputes.
A similar position was previously expressed by Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Bureau at the Office of the President of Poland, and Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the Law and Justice party, who called for blocking Ukraine’s accession to the European Union until historical issues are resolved.
At the same time, the issue of the Volhynia tragedy remains one of the most complex in relations between Ukraine and Poland. Kyiv and Warsaw have differing assessments of those events, but in recent years both sides have expressed a willingness to continue the historical dialogue and work toward mutual understanding. A pointed statement was made on July 7 during the “Gość Wydarzeń” program on the Polsat television channel.
Earlier, Poland signed an agreement with the United States for the delivery of 96 AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, along with a logistics and training package, for a total cost of $10 billion.
