Poland did not issue an ultimatum to Ukraine regarding Volyn tragedy - Duda
Polish President Andrzej Duda denied the information that Poland had issued an ultimatum to Ukraine to carry out exhumation work at the site of the deaths of Polish victims of the Volyn tragedy.
He said this on the air of Kanal Zero, Censor.NET reports with reference to RAP.
According to the Polish leader, he is not someone who refuses to help his neighbor, even if he has caused pain in the past.
Duda emphasized that Ukrainians believe that they are defending the whole of Europe and do not feel that they have to justify the assistance that Poland provides to Ukraine. The president also said that even before the Russian invasion, he had spoken with Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the events in Volyn. The meetings held with Petro Poroshenko did not yield any concrete results, but the discussion of the exhumation issue is ongoing.
"We will take steps to ensure that this topic ceases to be a cause for anger between our peoples, for this deeply wounded memory, or, as some say, for hatred," Duda emphasized.
The issue of exhumation of victims of the Volyn tragedy
As reported, in September, the Polish Foreign Ministry said that without resolving the issue of the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy, Ukraine cannot dream of joining the EU. At the same time, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that attempts to block Ukraine's accession to the European Union play into the hands of Vladimir Putin's policy.
During his visit to Warsaw on October 1, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said that Ukraine was ready to discuss with Poland controversial issues of common history, including the Volyn tragedy of 1943-1944.
On October 2, the UINP stated that they plan to conduct search operations for the victims of the Volyn tragedy in 2025. The Institute also stated that they remain open to cooperation with Polish institutions in the field of searching, preserving, and caring for the places of memory of Ukrainians in Poland and Poles in Ukraine, and complained that official inter-institutional mechanisms for resolving problematic issues with the Polish side in the restoration and preservation of places of memory have not been in place for a long time.
Drobowicz believes that Ukrainian and Polish officials need to finally take constructive action "in the problematic issues of exhumation and burials" and proposed a "roadmap".
On October 4, the Polish Defense Minister reaffirmed his intention to block Ukraine's accession to the EU until the issue of exhumation and commemoration of the victims of the Volyn tragedy is resolved.
On November 26, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, after speaking with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, said that Kyiv had assured him that there were no obstacles to the search and exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy in Ukraine.
On January 11, the Ministry of Culture reported that Ukraine and Poland had exchanged lists of places to search for and exhume the remains of mutual historical conflicts. Kyiv is committed to "positive decisions" on this issue.
