Poland-Ukraine Military Unit Row Deepens as Public Support Erodes, June 11

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree naming a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a World War II resistance group. Poland views the UPA as responsible for mass killings of Polish civilians between 1943 and 1945. The move has fractured diplomatic ties between the two wartime allies and triggered calls from Polish officials to strip Zelensky of Poland’s highest state award.

Public Opinion Shifts Against Ukraine in Poland

A poll conducted by SW Research between June 9 and 10 found that 51.9% of Poles now view Ukraine and Ukrainians more negatively due to the military unit naming, according to the Rzeczpospolita newspaper. The survey of 800 people showed 31.9% said the controversy did not affect their views. Negative sentiment was strongest among men, younger respondents, people with vocational education, and those earning less than 3,000 Polish zloty (about $810) per month.

Historical Wounds Drive the Dispute

Ukraine honors the UPA for fighting Soviet occupation and defending independence. Poland associates the group with the Volyn massacres, in which tens of thousands of Poles died between 1943 and 1945 in what is now western Ukraine under Nazi occupation. Thousands of Ukrainians died in retaliatory Polish attacks. The naming has sparked a diplomatic row between Kyiv and Warsaw over how to interpret shared history.

Polish Officials Demand Action

Polish President Karol Nawrocki proposed stripping Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor awarded in 2023. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that soldiers who requested the unit name “had absolutely no anti-Polish intent.” Ukraine denies weighing a unit rename as a concession. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for open dialogue to prevent Moscow from exploiting the rift.

Broader Tensions Over Ukraine Strategy

The military unit dispute compounds frustration in Warsaw over being excluded from London talks on June 9 and 10 between Britain, Germany, France, and Ukraine on ceasefire negotiations. Tusk warned that Poland would not automatically support any agreements reached without Polish participation, stating that Warsaw is “an absolutely essential link for serious discussions about the future of Ukraine and the region.”

Final Thoughts

The UPA naming has damaged public support for Ukraine in Poland at a critical moment in the war. With over half of Poles now viewing Ukraine more negatively and Polish officials threatening symbolic punishment, the alliance faces real strain despite shared military interests against Russia.

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