Historical issues will continue to affect Ukraine-Poland relations, says politician

This was stated by Polish politician and public figure Miroslaw Czech in an interview with Yuriy Fizer on Espreso TV.

"Currently, the actions of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have contributed to reducing social tensions in Poland, at least regarding historical issues. Exhumations took place in the village of Puzhnyky in the Ternopil region — this was perceived as a breakthrough decision on the part of the Ukrainian state and Ukraine as a whole," Czech noted.

According to the Polish politician, there are also permissions for other exhumation works on Ukrainian territory, as well as permissions from the Polish side for exhumations at sites where Ukrainians died on Polish territory. So this process has already moved from a deadlock.

"However, historical issues will continue to affect relations between our two countries, considering that one of the foundations of Polish policy is precisely historical memory. And this influence will be long-lasting. We need to be ready for this — ready for dialogue. I believe there is indeed a chance for dialogue, and it is already bringing positive results," Czech concluded.

• On November 26, 2024, the foreign ministers of Poland and Ukraine, Radosław Sikorski and Andriy Sybiha, in Warsaw adopted a joint statement in which Ukraine confirmed no obstacles to conducting exhumations of the victims of the Volyn tragedy.
• As previously reported, on April 24, the process of exhuming bodies began in the village of Puzhnyky in the Ternopil region within the framework of Polish-Ukrainian agreements. The territory where excavations will be carried out was surveyed by specialists from the emergency rescue detachment of the pyrotechnic work group. Both Ukrainian and Polish expeditions are working here. The approximate duration of the exhumation is 3 weeks. Then the remains of the deceased will be reburied so that descendants — both Poles and Ukrainians — can come to the graves of their ancestors. In total, the work in Puzhnyky will last about a month.
• On May 4, it became known that the field stage of the study as part of the Ukrainian-Polish expedition on the territory of the former village of Puzhnyky in the Ternopil region is coming to an end. Researchers have already found the remains of more than 30 people.