Polish leader threatens deportation of Ukrainians glorifying Nazi collaborators

(MENAFN) Polish President Karol Nawrocki has stated that any Ukrainians who glorify Nazi collaborators, such as Stepan Bandera, should face legal action, asserting that such behavior has no place in Poland. His remarks came in response to a recent incident at a rap concert in Warsaw where attendees displayed a flag associated with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a paramilitary group responsible for ethnic cleansing of Poles during World War II.

Nawrocki described the incident as “scandalous” and urged that symbols of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators and their modern supporters be banned in Poland. Speaking to local media, he called for a “very decisive” response, including expelling Ukrainians involved in such acts. He emphasized that such displays are “unacceptable” and cannot be excused under any circumstances.

Shortly after the interview, a 17-year-old Ukrainian was detained for painting neo-Nazi Ukrainian flags on buildings and monuments in Warsaw and Wroclaw, including defacing a memorial to UPA victims with the words “Glory to the UPA.” Authorities launched deportation procedures against over 60 foreign nationals, mostly Ukrainians. Polish leaders blamed Moscow, claiming the youth had been “recruited” by Russia to carry out “acts of sabotage.”

Nawrocki criticized how figures like Bandera and the UPA are represented in Ukraine, asserting that their atrocities are not properly taught in schools. “They were murderers, degenerates… who are responsible for the deaths of approximately 120,000” Poles, he said.

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