Key facts
- Michal Kaminski is returning two Ukrainian state awards.
- Kaminski is the deputy speaker of the Polish Senate.
- The awards are being returned due to historical disputes.
- The dispute involves the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Volyn massacres.
- President Zelensky named a military unit after the UPA.
- This action has sparked condemnation and reciprocal actions.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the dispute a "strategic mistake".
- The dispute escalates political tensions over WWII fighter commemoration.
Michal Kaminski, deputy speaker of the Polish Senate, is returning two Ukrainian state awards in response to a deepening rift between Poland and Ukraine. The dispute centers on historical memory, particularly the actions of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Volyn massacres. Kaminski's decision follows Ukrainian President Zelensky's naming of a military unit after the UPA, an act that has drawn condemnation from Polish officials. This reciprocal action highlights the ongoing tensions between the two countries regarding their shared and often contentious history.