The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland has announced a high-level meeting between State Secretary Marcin Bosacki and Kyrylo Budanov, designated by the Polish side as the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, to address growing bilateral tensions surrounding the designation of the ‘Heroes of UPA’ honorary title to a Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit. According to the official statement published by the [Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://www.gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/spotkanie-sekretarza-stanu-marcina-bosackiego-z-szefem-biura-prezydenta-ukrainy-kyrylem-budanowem), the meeting was initiated by the Ukrainian delegation. Budanov was accompanied by deputy officials Iryna Vereshchuk and Sergiy Kyslytsya in an effort to defuse the diplomatic friction between the two strategic neighbors.
During the discussions, Bosacki articulated Warsaw’s official stance, emphasizing that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to award the controversial historical title has caused deep pain and outrage across Polish society. The State Secretary reminded the Ukrainian delegation that Poland and its citizens have provided unwavering military, humanitarian, and political assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Bosacki stressed that long-term strategic relations must be anchored in historical truth, mutual respect for the victims of past conflicts, and a constructive bilateral historical dialogue.
Despite the sharp historical disagreements, the meeting also served as a platform to coordinate ongoing military and diplomatic efforts. Both parties reviewed the current situation on the frontlines and evaluated potential future diplomatic scenarios, including the conditions for potential peace negotiations. Both Bosacki and Budanov reaffirmed the strategic importance of the Polish-Ukrainian partnership, emphasizing that regional security challenges and the ongoing Russian aggression demand continued collaboration, despite historical grievances.
The diplomatic row erupted after President Zelenskyy officially bestowed the honorary title ‘Heroes of UPA’ upon the Special Operations Forces’ Separate Center ‘East.’ The move triggered swift condemnation from Polish officials and public figures. Karol Nawrocki, head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, argued that Ukraine’s glorification of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) indicates a lack of readiness to integrate into the European community, even suggesting that Zelenskyy should be stripped of the Order of the White Eagle. Additionally, Poland’s former ambassador to Ukraine, Bartosz Cichocki, returned the Ukrainian Order of Merit in protest.
As both nations navigate this diplomatic impasse, analysts suggest that finding common ground on sensitive historical narratives is crucial to preventing external actors, particularly Russia, from exploiting these divisions to undermine allied unity.