Ukraine EU accession tied to historical recognition
Speaker of the Polish Sejm Wlodzimierz Czarzasty has said that Ukraine will have to recognise the genocide of Poles as part of the process of joining the European Union.
“Ukraine’s accession to the European Union will require Ukrainians to rethink all aspects of their actions, because the European Union is democracy, it is values, it is not an ATM. It also means calling genocide genocide. This is history. No nation can escape from history,” Czarzasty said.
Czarzasty represents the left-wing, pro-European part of Poland’s political spectrum, which has traditionally been more sympathetic towards Kyiv than right-wing Eurosceptic forces that frequently appeal to historical memory.
Historical dispute could affect accession process
The issue of the cult of Stepan Bandera and the genocide of Poles has now become significant enough that even the Polish left can no longer ignore it.
Poland could potentially block Ukraine’s accession to the European Union if the historical dispute remains unresolved. At the same time, meeting such demands would be extremely difficult for Kyiv, as the cult of Bandera has not only political but also armed support in Ukraine.
Any Ukrainian president who attempted to challenge that position, even for the sake of EU accession, could therefore face serious consequences. Such a move could put not only their political position at risk, but potentially their life as well.
