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Forgiveness in time of war

Despite its struggle with Russia, Ukraine seeks to reconcile with Poland over historical grievances.

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Reuters
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visit the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in Kyiv, Sept. 13.
  • By the Monitor's Editorial Board

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, certainly has plenty on his plate: End Russia’s land grab. Join the European Union. Tour the world for support. Keep the economy and military up and running. And oh, by the way, reconcile with neighboring Poland over historical grievances from more than 80 years ago.

Yes, amid a war for its survival as a nation, Ukraine decided this week to make some amends with Poland. Next year, it will start to locate the bodies of thousands of Polish villagers killed during World War II by Ukrainian nationalists. The issue, among many in a long and complex history between the two peoples, has been exploited in recent years by conservative Polish politicians. What is often known as the Volhynia massacre is also frequently used by Russia to divide Ukraine and Poland.

Ties between the two countries are as close as ever, especially as each seeks to stop Moscow’s penchant for expanding its borders by force. Ukrainian refugees were warmly welcomed by Poles in 2022 after the Russian invasion. Yet Ukraine now sees a need for a reckoning on the truth about past atrocities, as well as full reconciliation with Poland.

“[We] value every life, remember history, and defend freedom together,” President Zelenskyy said during a visit by Polish President Andrzej Duda last year. The two attended a church service in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk to commemorate those who died in the massacre. In a spirit of humility, President Duda said both nations made mistakes “for which we paid the ultimate price.”

In recent months, a new government in Warsaw has suggested that Ukraine move faster on the historical reckoning in order to become a EU member. “We do not want revenge, we do not demand punishment, we just want a dignified burial of our ancestors,” Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski told broadcaster Polsat.

After Kyiv’s announcement this week, the Ukrainian foreign minister pointed to shared geopolitical interests. “The past, no matter how complicated, must not jeopardize the modern-day efforts to address common challenges and the future of the Euro-Atlantic family,” said Andrii Sybiha. A clean slate along with a bit of forgiveness between Poland and Ukraine will be one more tool in the war against Russian aggression.

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