“Our dilemma in Eastern policy is that we do not want Russia along our entire border, but neither do we want a Banderite Ukraine. Our policy must strike a balance between these two realities. The current government is incapable of doing that,” Tobiasz Bocheński said on Telewizja Republika.
On Friday, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly offered what he described as “good advice” to President Karol Nawrocki. Speaking on TVN24, he argued that President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s Institute of National Remembrance should reconsider naming a Ukrainian military unit after the “Heroes of the UPA,” suggesting instead honoring “a specific hero who fought against the Soviet occupation.”
“Our response was also disproportionate because it personally humiliated the President of Ukraine. If President Nawrocki had asked me, I would have advised something different. An equivalent response would have been to rename Jasionka Airport after the victims of the UPA, and then the matter would have been settled. Instead, President Nawrocki has effectively deprived himself of the possibility of maintaining dialogue with the president of an important country at war,” Sikorski argued.
“Zelensky Slapped the Republic of Poland”
Tobiasz Bocheński, Vice President of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, reacted to Sikorski’s remarks.
“Zelensky slapped the Republic of Poland in the face. Now let’s consider how we should conduct our foreign policy. If someone spits on us, are we supposed to smile and pretend it’s only rain? Absolutely not. The President acted accordingly,” Bocheński said during a morning interview on Telewizja Republika, defending President Nawrocki’s decision.
He continued:
“I believe Donald Tusk is currently a prisoner of Germany. The scale of German loans granted to Ukraine is enormous—well over €60 billion. But Germany did not provide that money for free. It wants to gain control over raw materials, ports, and other assets. That is why Donald Tusk is afraid to take a tougher stance toward Zelensky, because he wants to protect German interests and draw Ukraine into Germany’s sphere of influence.”
According to Bocheński, Poland faces a difficult strategic challenge.
“Our dilemma in Eastern policy is that we do not want Russia along our entire border, but neither do we want a Banderite Ukraine. The policy must be conducted in a way that balances both considerations. The current government cannot do that.”
“Why Didn’t Sikorski Propose It Earlier?”
Bocheński also ridiculed Sikorski’s proposal to commemorate the victims of the UPA by renaming Jasionka Airport.
“Who exactly prevented Sikorski from putting forward such an initiative earlier? And why not rename the A4 motorway after the victims of the Volhynia genocide? The General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways reports to the Prime Minister. Let Tusk do it. But he won’t. This is nothing more than political posturing,” Bocheński said.
A week ago, President Karol Nawrocki decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state decoration, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The honor had originally been awarded to Zelensky in 2023.
Ukraine reacted strongly to the decision. The following day, President Zelensky returned the order to Poland by courier. Several current and former Ukrainian officials also renounced Polish state decorations they had received, while representatives of the Ukrainian government described President Nawrocki’s decision as a blow to Polish-Ukrainian relations.
