Poland denies suspending military aid to Ukraine over Lviv Regional Council decision
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Poland denies suspending the delivery of a large military aid package to Ukraine following the Lviv regional council's decision to declare 2027 the year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Janusz Sejmej, spokesperson for Poland's Ministry of National Defense, made this statement in a comment to Fakt, RBC-Ukraine reports, as conveyed by Rubryka.
"This information is untrue," Sejmej stated when asked about a possible suspension of military supplies to Ukraine.
What preceded this
On October 20, the Lviv Regional Council declared 2027 the year of UPA, Roman Shukhevych, and Oleh Olzhych. The decision triggered a sharp reaction in Poland, where authorities hold UPA responsible for the mass killings of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.
The European Pravda publication wrote that Lviv regional council deputies held this vote during preparations to dispatch a large-scale Polish military assistance package.
According to the news outlet's source, authorities suspended supplies and are trying to resolve the situation through closed channels.
"Because of their irresponsible actions, the delivery of this package is currently suspended. Active work is underway through closed channels to resolve the problem created out of thin air," the source told the European Pravda.
Meanwhile, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki reported that representatives of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's team assured Warsaw that the Lviv Regional Council's decision will not take effect. He also noted that officials removed information about the resolution from the regional council's website.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the Lviv Regional Council's decision irritates Polish society and harms Ukraine's interests. In his view, such a step could also complicate Kyiv's cooperation with international partners.
"This is unwise; it harms Ukraine. For us, it is irritating—we do not understand it. But above all, it contradicts Ukraine's interests," Tusk stated.
The Polish Prime Minister noted that he had previously discussed this issue with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Tusk stressed that he had warned of the potential difficulties such decisions could pose for countries and partners supporting Ukraine.
He also emphasized that opponents of Ukraine's accession to the European Union could cite the Lviv Regional Council's decision, noting that such steps give them additional arguments to criticize Kyiv.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' position
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the Lviv Regional Council's decision counterproductive. The department emphasized that in recent years, Ukraine and Poland have achieved significant progress in developing their strategic partnership.
Specifically, the countries made headway on:
- Search and exhumation operations
- Historical dialogue
- Defense cooperation
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew special attention to the fact that the regional level adopted the decision to proclaim 2027 the year of UPA, Roman Shukhevych, and Oleh Olzhych.
According to the ministry, the Lviv Regional Council deputies who voted for the resolution did not consult the foreign ministry or other central government authorities to assess the possible consequences for relations with Poland.
The ministry explained that local council deputies hold elected positions and do not report to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, President Zelenskyi, or central executive bodies.
The Ukrainian side urged Poland to refrain from harsh steps that could hinder the trend toward normalizing relations between the two countries.
"For our part, we confirm our commitment to a constructive resolution of all problematic issues in bilateral relations through diplomatic channels in the spirit of good-neighborliness," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry concluded.
Background
It should be noted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated the day before that interaction between the countries had improved, expressing gratitude to the Polish side, government teams, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the Polish people for supporting Ukraine.
