Ukraine not opposed to exhumation of Volyn massacre victims on its territory, Foreign Ministry says

November 26, 2024

By Ukraine

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Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement with Poland on Nov. 26 that there were "no obstacles" for Poland to conduct exhumation work on the victims of the Volyn massacre of World War II, amid previous tension over with matter with Warsaw.

"Each family has the right to honor the memory of their ancestors with dignity," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a statement. "We are working on practical mechanisms to resolve matters related to searches and exhumations."

The joint release issued by both countries foreign ministries, which comes as Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha makes his first trip to Poland since being appointed to the post, does not explicitly mention the Volyn massacre but instead refers to "historical" misunderstandings between the two countries.

The Volyn massacres took place in 1943 during World War II on the territory of Nazi-occupied Ukraine. Tens of thousands of Poles were killed by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Thousands of Ukrainians were also killed in retaliation.

The Volyn massacres are a contentious topic between Ukraine and Poland and have often led to soured diplomatic relations.

During a Sept. 13 meeting between Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and President Volodymyr Zelensky, Sikorski demanded Ukraine finally allow the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn massacre and warned against expecting a quick EU accession, sparking frustration from Zelensky, according to the Kyiv Independent's sources familiar with the matter.

Ukraine's president reportedly accused Warsaw of politicizing historical events, falling short on promised military aid, and not fully backing Ukraine's path to EU membership.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also said in July that Ukraine will not join the EU without resolving the historical issue of the mass killings of Poles in Volyn. The Defense Minister's comments saw a mixed reaction from other officials in Warsaw with Polish President Andrzej Duda saying that threats to block Ukraine's accession to the European Union are in line with Kremlin policy.

The joint release, which sought to ease tensions over the issue, indicated that both foreign ministries would oversee a joint Ukrainian-Polish working group to carry out the exhumation of the victims.

In a statement following the joint release, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the agreement is "key to the full reconciliation between our nations, so necessary at this dramatic moment in our shared history."

In early October, the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance's announced that it plans to search for the remains of victims of the Volyn massacre, which the Polish Foreign Ministry called a "step in the right direction."

Despite historical grievances, Poland has been one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, providing billions of dollars in military, economic, and humanitarian aid and hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees.