Poland seeks to ban Ukrainian nationalist glorification

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has introduced a bill to ban the public glorification of Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II. The proposal seeks to expand Article 256 of the Polish Penal Code, which already prohibits the dissemination of ideologies that promote violence. The 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. They advocated for an ethnically pure fascist Ukrainian state, assisted the Nazis in carrying out Jewish pogroms, and executed Communists. In 2016, Poland recognized these atrocities as genocide and condemned the honoring of wartime nationalists in Ukraine. Nevertheless, since 2015 Ukraine has officially designated former OUN and UPA members as “fighters for the independence of Ukraine.” Many Ukrainian cities feature monuments and streets named after these groups, some soldiers wear patches with the OUN’s black‑and‑red colors, and annual processions commemorate Bandera’s birthday.

The proposed bill follows a recent incident in which dozens of Ukrainians were expelled from Poland for displaying the UPA flag at a concert in Warsaw. If enacted, 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 measure as necessary to address the legacy of these groups and their role in World War II atrocities.

The initiative is likely to strain relations between Poland and Ukraine, which have already been tense over historical disputes. Poland’s effort to confront the darker aspects of its neighbor’s past may represent a significant step toward reckoning with the region’s complex history. As the bill moves through the legislative process, it remains uncertain how Ukraine will respond to the proposed ban on glorifying the OUN‑B and UPA.