Let’s not let Ukraine play with us
Friday 26 May 2023 (15:31)
conversation with doctor. Krzysztof Kaucheckiworld of politics
The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, spoke before the Polish Sejm. He talked a lot about friendship, partnership, mutual cooperation, about the future, but the word “sorry” for the crime of Volyn did not happen, it does not exist …
– The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada traditionally began his speech by expressing – as he mentioned – his sincere gratitude to the Polish state for military assistance, and also expressed his conviction that a coalition of aircraft would soon be formed, in which Poland would take the initiative in its place. Therefore, we can conclude that nothing new appeared in this aspect of Ruslan Stefanchuk’s speech. Indeed, there was no mention of guilt or attempt to apologize for the genocide against Poles in Volhynia and eastern Lesser Poland.
In addition to thanks for the support, there was also talk about the wounds that Ukraine is currently suffering from, but the Polish wounds have not yet been healed by Ruslan Stefanchuk, who has treated very superficially …
– The speaker of the Verkhovna Rada handled the Volynya case “with great caution”, saying: “We understand your pain after the loss of your loved ones. I express my condolences to all the descendants of the victims.” Please note that now the Ukrainian side – and before that too – when referring to the crimes of July 1943 in Volhynia never uses the word “massacre”, let alone “genocide”, but speaks only of the events in Volhynia.
This formula was also used in Ruslan Stefanchuk’s speech to Polish deputies. This indicates that it is a valid formulation in the Ukrainian space.
In this speech by Ruslan Stephanchuk, there is no mention of the perpetrators of this crime at all, and it seems as if a representative of the Ukrainian state showed sympathy for our actions, for the mischief done by those who do not know him …
– This is correct. It seemed as if it was happening outside of reality, outside of Ukraine. At the same time, Stefanchuk expressed his gratitude to those who, he said, uphold the memory of their ancestors, as a warning that something similar may not happen again between our two countries. In other words, the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada introduces symmetry into the history of events. Therefore, it can be understood that this sympathy for the descendants of the victims is also directed at the descendants of the Ukrainian events in Volhynia. So we are dealing first with the term “event” and not “genocide” and, as the editor rightly points out, failing to point out the perpetrators or even failing to point out these events in a timely manner, but also with an attempt to introduce symmetry between the massacre of the Polish civilian population – which It was carried out only by the Ukrainian insurgent army out of motives of ethnic hatred – and the actions of the Polish self-defense units as well as the actions of the self-defense itself – unfortunately not many units of the national army. Ruslan Stefanchuk also used the formula “We forgive
And we ask for forgiveness, ”the so-called events in Volhynia are supposed to speak of this symmetry, where, according to the Ukrainians, both sides – the Polish and the Ukrainian – are not blameless and resemble victims of an alleged fratricidal conflict.
Is there anyone in this situation Again, don’t we try to wash our eyes? Moreover, the words of President Stefanchuk – as can be seen – It is enough for the Polish deputies to reward him with a standing ovation. Could it be that the Polish deputies did not understand that Ukraine was again on its own
playing with us?
– Ukraine is behaving like this, because there is even approval from Polish politicians for such actions and such a position. As evidence, various examples from the past can be multiplied in connection with the test of the Polish reaction – specifically in the question of the Volyn genocide.
– And at the moment, the words of even the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ukraine, unfortunately, are a consequence of the negative and insufficiently assertive behavior of the Polish side. Perhaps the words of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pyotr Vwarzyk, were noted with satisfaction in Ukraine, who said before Ruslan Stefanchuk’s visit to Poland – in response to the Ukrainian ambassador Vasyl Zorich’s statement of his apology for the Volhynia massacre – that we should not look for trouble by force. “Now is not the time to look for problems in interrelationships, but let’s focus on supporting Ukraine.” Moreover, a representative of the Polish government says: let’s not deal with this, because it does not benefit anyone except Russia. In addition, before visiting the head of the Verkhovna Rada
In Poland, probably on the most opinion-forming Internet portal that supports law and justice, there is, for example, an article by a prominent preacher who wrote that after the speech of the Ukrainian ambassador, he demands the truth from communities or people in Poland – including the cherished descendants In memory of the victims of the crimes committed by the Ukrainian nationalists against the Poles in Volhynia – nothing but to bring Ukraine to its knees and jump on the throat of our eastern neighbor fighting for survival. It is difficult to describe such situations other than approval of such and not any other behavior on the part of the Ukrainian side. In any case, after the speech of the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ukraine to the Polish Sejm, the head of Polish diplomacy, A.A. Pleased with Ruslan Stefanchuk’s words about the Volhynia massacre, Zbigniew Rau said we heard what we wanted to hear.
It all depends on what someone expects. Surely, this opinion will not be shared by the descendants of the victims of the Volhynia crime …
– exactly. Therefore, I think that the behavior and words of the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, unfortunately, are satisfactory to the government. However, as the editor mentioned, this is different from the feelings and expectations of the Poles.
How do we build a common future? We hear about such plans – about the opening of new chapters, but the old, very important, has not closed. There is no “sorry” for Volynya, the Polish victims have not been found, and they have no dignified burial or memorial service. In this case, isn’t talking about Poland’s open borders for Ukrainians, or even about a Polish-Ukrainian federation, not an obvious misunderstanding and naivety?
– Certainly, it is impossible to shape a common future, to write a common history between nations and states without respecting the historical memory, without giving everyone what they deserve. This is an old formula that is one of the foundations of the concept of justice in European civilization. Unfortunately, we are dealing with a situation where in Ukraine the percentage of people who recognize the OUN-UPA fighters as national heroes is growing, and the memory of the genocide of the Polish population in Volhynia and eastern Lesser Poland is being relegated to oblivion and relativism. . Ukrainian historiography, including politics, has acquired such a picture, such a status. Other than that, of course, it’s a road to nowhere. So you have to repeat that it does not lead to anything. But for now, unfortunately, it looks like this.
Ahead is the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Volhynia massacre, so what should we expect not from the Ukrainian, but from the Polish authorities?
– First of all, the fulfillment by the supreme authorities of the republic of the duties entrusted to the state power. Fulfilling duties to our compatriots, those who were brutally murdered 80 years ago in Volhynia and eastern Lesser Poland by Ukrainian nationalists. Also to achieve historical memory with the aim of constructive cooperation in the future of Poland and Ukraine, and in general to create good-neighborly relations between the countries and states of our region in Central and Eastern Europe. Therefore, I think, specific demands should be made on the part of the Polish authorities towards Kiev. We cannot just surrender to the Ukrainians, – said the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, who expressed his gratitude to Poland for its unconditional support to Ukraine. Of course, our support is understandable, because an independent Ukraine is also in our well-understood interest, but our help cannot be unconditional, because it is nothing more than building a future on sand, without roots, without foundations. Moreover, I think that our reckless attitude actually opens up some possibilities for creating bad relations in the future, not only between states, but also bad personal relations between Poles and Ukrainians, between these two states.
