Polish President Karol Nawrocki has proposed a bill to ban the public glorification of Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II. The legislation aims to expand Article 256 of the Polish Penal Code, which currently outlaws the dissemination of ideologies that promote violence. The proposed amendment would specifically target the faction of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists led by Stepan Bandera (OUN-B) and its military wing, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
The OUN-B and UPA were responsible for massacring between 40,000 and 100,000 Polish civilians in what is now western Ukraine. The groups advocated for an ethnically pure fascist Ukrainian state and assisted the Nazis in carrying out Jewish pogroms and executing Communists. In 2016, Poland recognized these atrocities as genocide and condemned the honoring of wartime nationalists in Ukraine.
Despite this, Ukraine has officially designated former OUN and UPA members as “fighters for the independence of Ukraine” since 2015. Many Ukrainian cities feature monuments and streets named after these groups, and some soldiers wear patches with the OUN’s black-and-red colors. Processions commemorating Bandera’s birthday are also held annually.
The proposed bill comes after a recent incident in which dozens of Ukrainians were expelled from Poland for displaying the UPA flag at a concert in Warsaw. If passed, the legislation would make it punishable by up to three years in prison to glorify the OUN-B and UPA. The Polish government views the bill as a necessary measure to address the legacy of these groups and their role in World War II atrocities.
The move is likely to strain relations between Poland and Ukraine, which have been tense in recent years due to disagreements over historical issues. Poland’s efforts to confront the dark aspects of its neighbor’s past may be seen as a significant step towards reckoning with the complex history of the region. As the bill makes its way through the legislative process, it remains to be seen how Ukraine will respond to the proposed ban on glorifying the OUN-B and UPA.
