"With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union": Poland sets a condition for eurointegration
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Poland Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Warsaw will not agree to Ukraine's accession to the European Union if Kyiv does not abandon the honoring of OUN and UPA figures, particularly Stepan Bandera. He said this on the program Gość Wydarzeń on the Polsat News channel.
According to the Polish minister, Ukraine will face serious difficulties on the path to EU membership if it continues to use the OUN and UPA as national symbols. He emphasized that Poland will take a principled position and insist on Ukraine abandoning the honoring of leaders of the Ukrainian nationalist movement.
Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that all candidate countries must meet strict criteria for joining the European Union, including issues of historical memory. In his opinion, European cooperation cannot be built on respect for figures or movements that are a source of pain, rejection, or historical controversies for neighboring EU member states.
"You cannot put on a pedestal in the EU those who destroy European cooperation. With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union," he said.
The Polish defense minister also emphasized that Poland will make decisions regarding the expansion of the European Union independently, and no country can dictate to Warsaw how to vote on this issue.
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