Poland to create memorial to victims of Ukrainian nationalist ‘genocide’: PM Tusk

Poland to create memorial to victims of Ukrainian nationalist ‘genocide’: PM TuskSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxPoland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said “memory and truth must help us build a better future, without hatred and without contempt”. PHOTO: EPAPublished Jul 11, 2026, 06:29 PMUpdated Jul 11, 2026, 06:29 PMSet as preferred sourceSummarisePoland will build a Wall of Remembrance in Warsaw to honour civilian victims of what PM Donald Tusk called a genocide by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II.The monument marks the anniversary of the 1943 "Bloody Sunday," when Ukrainian nationalist groups killed thousands of Poles in Volhynia, deepening historical tensions between Poland and Ukraine.

Tusk emphasised that recognising historical truth is essential for peace and mutual respect in Europe, despite current political disputes over the legacy of these events.AI generatedWARSAW - Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk on July 11 announced the creation of a new monument to civilian victims of what he called a “genocide” by “Ukrainian nationalists” in World War II.“A Wall of Remembrance will be erected in Warsaw, with an eternal flame and the names of every victim who has been found and identified,” he said on social media.

Warsaw and Kyiv have been at loggerheads for decades over the massacre of civilians on both sides during World War II, souring relations.But the dispute has taken on more significance given Poland’s support for its neighbour as Ukraine fights off an invasion by Russia.Tusk’s announcement came on the eve of the anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” in 1943, when units from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) killed thousands of Poles in Volhynia, now in northwest Ukraine.

According to Poland, between 70,000 and 100,000 civilians were killed between 1943 and 1945, while reprisals are thought to have claimed the lives of up to 12,000 Ukrainians.The UPA and the OUN are seen in Ukraine as groups that fought for independence against the Red Army and the Soviet Union.Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky caused outrage in Poland in May after announcing that he was naming a military unit after the UPA.

In retaliation, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the country’s highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle.Tusk, a former president of the European Council and a staunch backer of Ukraine against Russia, said “memory and truth must help us build a better future, without hatred and without contempt”.“The Europe of peace and mutual respect, the Europe reconciled after World War II, was made possible thanks to truth and to calling things by their name.

“Whoever wants to join this community must be ready for this truth.” AFPMore on this topicPoland's Tusk says Ukraine wants to lower tension, should confront historyUkraine withholding promised drone technology as historical tensions rise, Polish minister saysSee more onPolandUkraineWars and conflicts