Poland and Ukraine must resolve contentious issue of exhuming Volyn tragedy victims to move forward – Ukrainian FM

Ukraine and Poland have been in talks to address the exhumation of victims from the Volyn tragedy, an ongoing issue that has strained their relations as neighboring nations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, reported that, following his visit to Poland.

As the head of the foreign policy department said, during the meeting, "sensitive issues of the past" were discussed, including the exhumation of those killed during the tragic events in Volyn.

The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is convinced that "true friends can openly discuss everything with each other." Therefore, the officials of both countries talked about "specific technical, not political, steps to finally solve the issue of exhumations, which has been poisoning our political dialogue for a long time."

The minister emphasized that Ukraine and Poland seek a constructive dialogue and understand the importance of maintaining strong relations despite the problematic historical past.

"The past, no matter how difficult it may be, cannot jeopardize the modern opposition to common challenges and the future in the Euro-Atlantic family. I am convinced that this is our common understanding with the Polish side," Sybiha said.

On October 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha stated that Ukraine was ready to discuss the Volyn tragedy.

"We have enough political will and diplomatic skill to resolve any, particularly the most difficult issues, including with our closest allies and friends, the Poles. We will talk about this topic today," the Foreign Minister emphasized on the sidelines of the Warsaw Security Forum.

In turn, the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance announced that in 2025, they plan to conduct search operations for the victims of the Volyn tragedy in the Rivne region. They will do it in response to the appeal of the Poles.

According to Anton Drobovych, the director of the Institute of National Research and Development of Ukraine, the Institute is considering coordinating search operations. Additionally, the Polish side will be invited to participate as an observer.

It's worth mentioning that Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Warsaw could not support Ukraine's entry into the EU until the two countries resolved their disagreements regarding the events in Volyn during World War II.

At that time, he stated that real politics "must issue an ultimatum," and Ukraine's accession to the EU would not be possible if the "Volyn issue" remains unresolved.

The minister also noted that only the victory of Ukraine would mark the war's end for Poland since any other result would remain a direct threat of war for Poland.

During his turn, Ukrainian People's Deputy and member of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Mykola Kniazhytsky disagreed with the Minister of Defense of Poland's statement that Ukraine cannot join the European Union until the "Volyn issue" is resolved.

Meanwhile, President Andrzej Duda criticized such claims. In his opinion, blocking Ukraine's access to the European Union is a continuation of Vladimir Putin's policy because the Russian dictator started aggression against Ukraine precisely to stop its integration into the EU.

For reference:

During the Second World War, under German occupation, several partisan movements were active in Ukraine. These, in particular, were units of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Polish Home Army. They mostly fought in Volyn.

Simultaneously, both sides engaged in a reciprocal process of ethnic cleansing, citing it as retribution for past repressions and ongoing killings. The Institute of History of Ukraine has recognized this as one of the most devastating aspects of the Ukrainian-Polish conflict during World War II.

According to Polish estimates, at least 35,000 people died during this tragedy on the Polish side, of which 18,000 were identified, and up to several thousand people died on the Ukrainian side. At the same time, according to the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) project, 9,000 to 10,000 people died on the Ukrainian side.