Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given a firm green light to Poland’s long-standing requests to exhume the remains of tens of thousands of Poles killed during the Volhynia Massacre, Poland’s parliamentary speaker said on Monday.
Speaker Szymon Hołownia said that Kyiv officially had approved the exhumation process earlier this year, and had been repeated ahead of commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
The Volhynia Massacre, carried out by Ukrainian nationalists during World War Two, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100,000 Poles in the then-Polish regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.
Hołownia told reporters on Monday: “He [Zelenskyy] assured me that, from his side, there is an absolute, as absolute as it can be, ‘green light’ for the exhumation process.”
Poland has long sought to locate and properly commemorate the victims of the massacre. “We want to know where the victims are buried and be able to light the candles on their tombstones,” Hołownia said.
He added that the discussions in Kraków were initiated by Kyiv.
The Volhynia Massacre, carried out by Ukrainian nationalists during World War Two, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100,000 Poles in the then-Polish regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.
Hołownia told reporters on Monday: “He [Zelenskyy] assured me that, from his side, there is an absolute, as absolute as it can be, ‘green light’ for the exhumation process.”
Poland has long sought to locate and properly commemorate the victims of the massacre. “We want to know where the victims are buried and be able to light the candles on their tombstones,” Hołownia said.
He added that the discussions in Kraków were initiated by Kyiv.
The decision is seen as a major step forward in addressing a decades-long point of tension between the two countries.Kraków. I had a meeting with Marshal of the Polish Sejm, @szymon_holownia.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 27, 2025
Strengthening our nation militarily is crucial for achieving a just and lasting peace. We count on the continued support of the Polish Sejm, particularly through the reinforcement of sanctions policies… pic.twitter.com/FGpEWBWgEH
More In Politics MORE...
