On Monday in Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk called upon the governments of Poland and Ukraine to ease the tensions over history. He emphasised, after the EU - Ukraine summit, that these tensions clearly show that not everyone has come to terms with the past.
New approach
"Ukraine's independence, security of Poland and the whole region rely to a large extent on relations between Kiev and Warsaw. The recent tensions clearly show that not everyone has come to terms with the past. Only true solidarity between Ukraine and Poland can save us all in the future from the tragic past repeating itself," said Donald Tusk at a press conference held together with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
"I call upon the authorities of both countries to find a new approach to our mutual relations and to think positively. A conflict between us can benefit only our enemies or fools," Mr Tusk added.
Ukraine's independence and the security of Poland and the whole region relies to a huge extent on the relations between Kiev and Warsaw. pic.twitter.com/Z6CNgsKmpy
— Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) 9 lipca 2018
Separate events
In recent days, discrepancies regarding events from Polish - Ukrainian history has been accentuated yet again, as both sides organized separate commemorations of the Volhynia Massacre.
Ukraine held the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the Polish - Ukrainian conflict in Volhynia on Friday. Polish authorities had scheduled their commemorations of the Volhynia Massacre for Saturday and Sunday. The heads of states did not meet.
On Sunday, at Ołyka cemetary in Volhynia, President Andrzej Duda called upon the Ukrainian government to restore the possiblity of exhuming the Volhynia Massacre victims. On the same day, Ukrainian President went to Sahryń (Lubelskie Voivodeship, Poland) and took part in a ceremony dedicated to a few hundred Ukrainians murdered by the Polish Underground Miilitary in 1944. Petro Poroshenko said that Kiev hopes that Poland changes the provisions regarding Ukraine in the Act on the Institute of National Remebrance.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, PAP/EPA