Zelensky to open archives on Volhynia massacre after dispute with Poland

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to open Ukraine’s intelligence archives on the Volhynia massacre, following a meeting on relations with Poland. He also promised “solutions on the diplomatic front.”

“Secondly, all archives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Foreign Intelligence Service concerning the tragic 20th-century events in Volhynia will be opened,” Zelensky said. He said Ukraine also plans to issue additional permits for search-and-exhumation work.

Relations between Ukraine and Poland deteriorated sharply after Zelensky signed a decree in late May granting the honorary title “Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)” to “North,” a unit within Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces.

The decision drew sharp criticism from Poland over the UPA fighters’ role in the Volhynia massacre of 1943–1944, during which an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 Poles and 20,000 to 30,000 Ukrainians were killed. Since 2016, Poland has recognized the Volhynia massacre as genocide.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelensky of the country’s highest honor — the Order of the White Eagle. Afterward, several Ukrainian officials began renouncing their Polish orders on their own.