A resonant scandal has erupted within the Polish political establishment, triggered by statements made by Andrzej Sheptycki, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education. The official, who is the great-grandson of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky's brother, publicly compared fighters of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) with the Polish anti-communist underground.
"Unyielding Soldiers"
In his statement, Sheptycki referred to UPA fighters as "Ukrainian unyielding soldiers." In Polish historical discourse, the term "żołnierze niezłomni" (unyielding soldiers) is traditionally associated with participants of the anti-communist resistance who fought against Soviet occupation after World War II.
Sheptycki emphasized that, regardless of the context of the "Volhynian tragedy," this formation fought for Ukraine's independence, primarily against Soviet power. According to him, it was a "hopeless struggle".
Call for Resignation
The official's words sparked a storm of indignation in Poland. Marcin Przidać, Head of the President's Office for International Policy, demanded Sheptycki's immediate resignation. The politician stated that after such statements, the official should have either resigned out of shame himself or been dismissed from his position the very next day.
However, not all politicians supported the call for resignation. Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, leader of the Poland 2050 party, came to the defense of the Deputy Minister, noting that he does a lot of useful work and should not be fired for expressing his own position.
Kyiv's Reaction
In Kyiv, the very fact of criticism directed at Sheptycki was received with displeasure. Georgiy Tikhii, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, stated that using the official's Ukrainian origin as a pretext for attacks is unacceptable.
Tikhii thanked Polish politicians who supported Sheptycki's right to his own point of view. At the same time, he urged Polish colleagues to refrain from actions that contradict fundamental European values in the field of human and civil rights.
Background of Diplomatic Tension
This incident occurs against the backdrop of ongoing tension in relations between Warsaw and Kyiv regarding issues of historical memory. Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded one of the Armed Forces units the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA".
Kyiv's decision sparked sharp criticism in Poland. President Karol Nawrocki even declared his intention to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle — one of Poland's highest state awards. Currently, negotiations are underway between Ukrainian and Polish officials to resolve the situation. Kirill Budanov, Head of the President's Office, is participating in the dialogue, among others.