The European Parliament on Wednesday passed an amendment expressing regret over the recent escalation caused by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he renamed a military unit in honor of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The amendment, tabled by the European People's Party, was adopted by a significant majority with 592 votes in favor, 42 against, and 11 abstentions.
The resolution, attached to the parliament's 2025 report on Ukraine's accession process, states that the decision ignores the sensitive and painful nature of the UPA issue for Polish society, given the estimated tens of thousands of victims. The European Conservatives and Reformists faction had sought to pause opening further negotiation clusters until Kyiv acknowledges the ethnic cleansing campaigns against Poles.
The dispute escalated in late June, contributing to tensions that saw Zelenskyy skip a reconstruction conference in Gdańsk. Ukrainian historian Volodymyr Viatrovych argued that Kyiv should maintain firm rhetoric and not make concessions, which he said only embolden Polish politicians.