Duda Highlights Ongoing Calm and Constructive Dialogue With Zelenskyy on Volyn Tragedy

Polish President Andrzej Duda emphasized the importance of addressing historical issues between Kyiv and Warsaw, including the Volyn tragedy, in a calm and constructive manner.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Warsaw on January 15, Duda stated that historical matters were discussed during their talks—issues that “we have never avoided during our meetings.”

He added that ongoing discussions are taking place within a working group formed by Poland’s ruling coalition and Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, focusing on historical and exhumation-related work.

Duda expressed hope that Poland’s requests concerning the exhumation of victims of the Volyn tragedy would be considered and approved. “This is not a new topic; we have been in conversation with the President for a long time, and it is calm and constructive,” he said. “It is no secret that this is a difficult topic that needs to be resolved calmly.”

The Polish President concluded his remarks by stressing the need for a peaceful and reasoned approach to resolving the sensitive historical issues between the two countries.

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced a significant step in addressing the historical Volyn tragedy, confirming the decision to begin the first exhumations of Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during World War II. Tusk expressed gratitude to the Ministers of Culture of Poland and Ukraine for their cooperation and highlighted that further decisions are expected.