Poland's Defense Minister did not say Ukraine won't join EU over Bandera

Claims circulating on social media that Poland's Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz declared Ukraine would not join the European Union if it honors Stepan Bandera have been debunked as false. The assertion, which gained traction in late June, misrepresented a statement made during a television interview.

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With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union.

Several Polish news outlets initially reported that Kosiniak-Kamysz had said, "With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union." These reports, appearing on June 29-30, cited quotes from an interview with Polsat News. Some reports also included the minister supposedly stating, "No one will tell Poland how to vote on the accession of any country to the EU."

However, a full recording of the interview, published on the Polsat News YouTube channel on June 30, revealed the actual exchange. During the interview, when asked about Ukraine's EU accession, Kosiniak-Kamysz discussed the conditions for membership, emphasizing that aspiring nations cannot base their national identity or historical policy on figures or events that cause pain or controversy to their partners. He stated, "You cannot create a national pantheon of heroes from people who destroy European cooperation."

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You cannot create a national pantheon of heroes from people who destroy European cooperation.

At this point, the interviewer interjected with the remark, "With Stepan Bandera in Ukraine's pantheon of heroes, Ukraine will not join the European Union." Kosiniak-Kamysz did not directly respond to this interjection but proceeded to reiterate Poland's stance on EU voting, saying, "And likewise, no one will tell Poland how it should vote on the accession of any country to the European Union."

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And likewise, no one will tell Poland how it should vote on the accession of any country to the European Union.