Recognize genocide as a condition for EU accession: Speaker of the Polish Sejm commented on the Volhynia tragedy

The path to Euro-integration may require Ukraine to implement not only economic and political reforms. In Poland, there is again emphasis on the importance of officially recognizing the Volyn tragedy as genocide.

This was reported by Rzeczpospolita, which quotes the Speaker of the Polish Sejm, Włodzimierz Czażasty (Włodzimierz Czazasty) after a meeting with the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, in the Polish town of Szczawno-Zdrój.

What did the Polish politician say?

Włodzimierz Czażasty stated the need to recognize the Volyn tragedy 1943 – 1944 years of genocide of Poles for Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

The Polish official stressed that he supports European integration for Ukrainians, but considers it necessary to “reflect on all aspects of our history.”

The EU is democracy and values; it is not just an ATM. It also means naming the genocide for what it is. It is history, and no nation can escape its history,

— said Czażasty.

The Speaker of the Sejm acknowledged tension in current relations between the countries and peoples. According to him, “people who loved each other four years ago are now quarrelling in Poland.”

This will lead to nothing good; I condemn all forms of improper conduct, both by Poles toward Ukrainians and by Ukrainians toward Poles,

— he emphasized.

In Czażasty’s view, dialogue between the Ukrainian and Polish parliaments should become the first step toward “restoring what we have lost.”

For reference, Polish President Andrzej Duda stated that Poland’s support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression remains Warsaw’s strategic priority. At the same time, he stressed that Poland is not ready to make compromises on issues of national memory.