Polish general: Ukraine's UPA naming a deliberate provocation

A former deputy chief of the Polish General Staff, Gen. Leon Komornicki, has voiced strong criticism regarding Ukraine's recent actions and their implications for Polish-Ukrainian relations. Komornicki believes Ukraine is strategically outmaneuvering Poland in the region, particularly in the context of the ongoing war.

"Ukrainians are taking the initiative in the political and strategic sphere. They are taking over the role that we should have," Komornicki stated in an interview with Interia. He pointed out that Poland was not invited to a significant meeting in London on June 7, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with leaders from the UK, France, and Germany. "We were omitted by Ukraine because, from their perspective, we are competition," he explained, calling this a flawed assumption.

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Ukraińcy przejmują inicjatywę w sferze politycznej i strategicznej. Przejmują rolę, którą my powinniśmy mieć. Zaczęli definiować, co na wschodniej flance Europy ma się dziać.

Komornicki specifically addressed the controversy surrounding the naming of a Ukrainian military unit "Heroes of UPA." He argued that this is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of Ukraine building its political system on "Banderism," referring to the ideology of Stepan Bandera. "Giving the name of UPA to a military unit is just an incident, one of the undertakings in which the President of Ukraine personally engaged at such an important moment for us and Ukraine. This is not a coincidence," he told Interia.

The general believes the naming was a deliberate provocation. "It was a deliberate insertion, to sow discord, to ridicule us, and to present us in the eyes of Europeans and the United States as an irresponsible and quarrelsome state," Komornicki asserted. He suggested Ukraine aims to diminish Poland's role as it seeks regional primacy. Despite these tensions, Komornicki stressed the importance of seeking agreement and consolidating efforts, advocating for close defense cooperation.

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To była celowa wrzutka, żeby nas skłócić, ośmieszyć i pokazać w oczach Europejczyków i Stanów Zjednoczonych jako państwo nieodpowiedzialne i kłótliwe.