Polish parliament adopts resolution on 81st anniversary of Volyn tragedy

The lower house of the Polish parliament, the Sejm, has adopted a resolution commemorating the 81st anniversary of the Volyn tragedy.

Some 427 lawmakers voted for this decision, none voted against it, and seven abstained, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"On the 81st anniversary of Bloody Sunday [July 11, 1943], the Sejm of Poland honors the memory of the victims of the genocide that affected the inhabitants of eastern Poland, mainly Poles, as well as Armenians, Czechs, Jews, and Ukrainians. To this day, the victims of this crime do not have their own graves, their exhumations have not been carried out, and a dignified burial has not been organized," the document reads.

It states that in 2016, the Polish Sejm established the "National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Genocide Committed by Ukrainian Nationalists against the Citizens of the Second Polish Republic." This was also an opportunity to "express gratitude to Ukrainians who refused to participate in the killings and saved the Poles."

In the resolution, the Sejm condemned "all attempts to belittle the truth about the Volyn massacre, as well as hypocrisy and falsehoods in the discussion about this event." In this regard, the deputies called for "various educational activities that will be the basis of cooperation between Poland and Ukraine."

The Sejm expressed its conviction that the memory of the tragedy, honoring the victims and their dignified burial are "important for partnership, good-neighborly and friendly relations" with Ukraine.

"Now both our peoples especially need such relations. Poland, supporting the Ukrainian people in their fight against the Russian aggressor, is counting on the honest commemoration of the martyrdom of its citizens at the hands of Ukrainian nationalists," the resolution reads.

The lower house of the Polish parliament also called on the government to continue diplomatic efforts to honor the memory of murdered Poles.

At the same time, legislators called on the Ukrainian authorities to "give consent to the exhumation and proper burial of the victims of the Volyn massacre."

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated earlier that "there will be no accession of Ukraine to the EU if the Volyn case is not resolved."

Anton Drobovych, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, in turn, said that topics related to issues of memory and history should first of all be discussed by specialists. At the same time, according to him, "clarity has reigned for a long time" among scientists in matters related to the Volyn tragedy.

This topic is one of the most controversial in Ukrainian-Polish relations. The views of Kyiv and Warsaw on the causes, responsibility and number of victims on both sides are somewhat different. The Polish side insists that the Ukrainian side bears sole responsibility for the crimes committed in 1943-1945 in Volyn. Instead, the Ukrainian side emphasizes that both sides are responsible and the apology should be mutual.

Russian propaganda has actively used the topic of the Volyn tragedy in past years and now.

Photo: Delfi