Poland welcomes Zelensky plan to ease Volhynia massacre dispute
Ukraine has proposed opening intelligence archives and expanding exhumation work to resolve a bitter diplomatic dispute with Poland over World War Two massacres, a move vital to maintaining the "mutually beneficial relations" both economies rely upon.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a five-point plan to defuse a diplomatic crisis with Poland. The rift was triggered by his recent decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
The UPA led massacres of around 100,000 Polish civilians, mostly women and children, in the Volhynia region during World War Two. Poland recognises this as a genocide, while Ukraine rejects the label and points to historical anti-Ukrainian measures by the interwar Polish state.
In a statement on Friday, Zelensky outlined steps to repair the relationship. He pledged unspecified decisions on the diplomatic track, the opening of all Security Service of Ukraine and Foreign Intelligence Service archives concerning Volhynia, and a substantial increase in permits for search and exhumation work.
Ukraine prohibited the exhumation of Polish massacre victims from 2017 to 2025. Although the work was allowed to resume last year, Warsaw has complained that only a small number of permits have been approved. Tens of thousands of victims are believed to remain buried in unmarked mass graves.
Zelensky also promised to expand societal dialogue and increase the capabilities of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINP). The UINP's head, Oleksandr Alfyorov, angered Poland earlier this year by calling the Volhynia massacres "just a local historical episode" and denying they constituted a genocide.
The resolution of this historical dispute carries direct implications for the regional economy. Zelensky noted that "all of us in Europe need good-neighbourly, equal, and mutually beneficial relations built on respect." Preserving this economic and political stability is critical, given the "significant support" Poland has provided to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he accepted the words and decisions "with satisfaction and hope". He reiterated that Poland is ready for a "serious and friendly dialogue" on both unifying and divisive issues.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz cautioned that the announcements must translate into concrete actions. He noted that "today, Poland and Ukraine have a common enemy: Russia," adding that sowing discord between the nations serves Kremlin interests.
The cautious welcome even came from the camp of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who deepened
