Plea for forgiveness, with a caveat

Have the crimes committed by Ukrainians against ethnic Poles during World War II been adequately addressed by contemporary Ukrainian politicians? Are the gestures of leaders such as Petro Poroshenko, the former Ukrainian president who addressed the victims of the massacre, not enough? “We forgive Poland and we ask for Poland’s forgiveness,” Poroshenko said in a 2016 speech to the Sejm, Poland's lower house of Parliament.

For some, it could be that this is still too little. When it comes to Polish-Ukrainian relations, political elites have avoided uncomfortable topics about the countries’ shared histories, including the fact that Poland, too, has done harm to Ukrainian people and culture in the past, including ordering the destruction of Ukrainian Orthodox churches.

Yet seeking apologies for Volhynia as Russian rockets fall on Ukraine, when one-sixth of its territory occupied, where war crimes are continued on its territory every day, is unfathomably absurd.

Apparently not for ruling-party politicians, who are worrying about their poll numbers ahead of Poland’s upcoming parliamentary elections this coming fall.

Ungrateful Ukrainians?

The current ruling party is not guaranteed to win a Parliamentary majority. That has left longtime PiS party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to once again reach for his tried-and-true methods. A new scapegoat has been found. For PiS, it is the ungrateful Ukrainians, who Poles have helped from the very first days of Russia’s invasion — taking in refugees, sending its own tanks and planes — who now do not want to account for their own criminal history towards Poland.

Kaczynski will personally label those who criticize PiS for its actions against the Polish state as traitors. And the battle against Ukrainians is only just beginning.

Decent people in our country cannot stay neutral in light of what is happening here.

This is a testament to the desperation of the ruling party. When the entire civilized world is deciding how to more effectively help Ukraine defeat Russia, Kaczynski is rekindling disputes about difficult historical events. This is a strategic move by the party to get closer to a xenophobic electorate which typically supports the nationalist and far-right Confederation party, which has been fighting against the supposed “Ukrainization” of Poland.

When postponing makes good sense

This is an unforeseen gift for Russia. The Kremlin’s propaganda machine will make good use of Jasina’s words.

Decent people in our country cannot stay neutral in light of what is happening here. We cannot be blackmailed by Kaczynski, nor can we be made to feel afraid by his propaganda. It is us who must send an unequivocal message, that Poland’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its war effort will not fall victim to the political whims of the ruling party.

Discussions of our difficult and mutually tragic history, though necessary, should be postponed until after this war has come to an end.