Polish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dismissed After Demanding Zelenskiy Apology
Polish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Suspended After Calling for Ukrainian President to Apologize for Volhinya Massacre
Lukasz Jasina, the spokesperson for the Polish Foreign Ministry, has been suspended from her role after calling on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy to apologize for the Volhinya Massacre. The massacre, which took place during the Second World War, saw Ukrainian ultranationalists collaborate with the Nazis in killing an estimated 60,000 Poles living in the region.
Jasina made her comments on a radio show, saying that the Ukrainian side did not understand how important this issue was for the Polish people. She called on Zelenskiy to take greater responsibility for the massacre, saying that a simple apology would have a positive effect on Polish-Ukrainian relations.
However, her comments were met with a swift response from Wasyl Zwarycz, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Warsaw, who said that any attempt to impose on Ukraine or their president what they should do regarding their common past was unacceptable.
The Volhinya Massacre is regarded as a dark chapter in the history of Europe, and a point of tension between Poland and Ukraine. While the exact number of people who lost their lives in the massacre is not known, Polish researchers documented that 36,500 people lost their lives due to the massacre.
Jasina’s suspension has been met with mixed reactions. While some are sympathetic to her call for an apology, others believe that diplomacy should be given priority over calls for retribution. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet made an official statement on the matter.
