Commentary: Bad Blood Over Historical Symbols – Poland and Ukraine Fight the Wrong Battle

A bitter dispute over historical symbols and World War II events is increasingly dividing Poland and Ukraine, two nations that are existentially reliant on each other. The conflict, which has even led Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to cancel a visit to Poland, highlights a paradox: the immediate threat of Russian aggression fails to unite the neighbors, while a dispute over the past drives them further apart.

At the heart of the controversy are the massacres of tens of thousands of ethnic Poles in what is now western Ukraine between 1943 and 1945. These atrocities were carried out by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). In Poland, the UPA is widely regarded as a terrorist group responsible for these killings. In Ukraine, however, the UPA is revered for its fight for an independent Ukraine, engaging in guerrilla warfare against both Nazi occupiers and later the Soviet regime.

These irreconcilable viewpoints have created a volatile situation. Cooler heads should prevail, as the two neighbors are critically dependent on one another. The crisis escalated on May 26 when Zelenskyy posthumously awarded a special designation, "Heroes of the UPA," to a military unit. While Zelenskyy claims this was a request from the unit he could not refuse, the act was undoubtedly provocative, knowing it would cause offense in Poland, where the UPA's legacy is viewed so differently. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a staunch nationalist, viewed this as a direct affront.

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Many languages and cultures have already disappeared due to this problem. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a birth rate of over 2.1.