Zelensky received the book Documents of the Volyn Tragedy in Warsaw: a symbolic gesture from Nawrocki.

According to ТСН: Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Warsaw, where he met with Polish colleague Karol Nawrocki. During the meeting at the Presidential Palace, the President of Ukraine received a book that attracted special attention.

This edition turned out to be the book "Documents of the Volyn Tragedy" in Ukrainian, which the President of Poland gifted to Zelensky.

The two-volume study was published in 2023, when Karol Nawrocki held the position of President of the Institute of National Remembrance. The book contains testimonies from witnesses, many of which are validated by signatures.

Importance of the Volyn Tragedy

The Volyn tragedy has left its mark on Poland-Ukraine relations for many years. This issue remains one of the most relevant and sensitive.

According to information from the Institute of National Remembrance of Poland, the negotiations discussed cooperation in the field of memory, search and exhumation works, war crimes and repressions, as well as Ukrainian victims on Polish territory.

The Institute qualifies the gift to Zelensky as a "symbolic gesture" that underscores the importance of exhuming the victims of the Volyn tragedy for both the Polish state and for strengthening Polish-Ukrainian relations.

The Position of Both Countries

Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine respects Poland's position regarding the Volyn tragedy and informed that search and exhumation works are already underway. Nawrocki also emphasized that jointly addressing issues of national memory with Ukraine helps "stripping the RF of the ability to divide us".

Nawrocki made several statements after the meeting with Zelensky, particularly regarding the unity of views on security and defense between Warsaw and Kyiv. According to him, the countries share the opinion that the RF is a "neo-imperial, post-Soviet" state that poses a threat to the region.

The Sensitivity of the Topic in Relations

The topic of the Volyn tragedy is extremely sensitive in the relations between Warsaw and Kyiv. Nawrocki, who will begin his term as president on August 6, has repeatedly stressed the importance of this issue.

In January 2025, the first exhumations of "UPA victims" in Volyn began in Poland, which continue to this day. This raised the issue of revising Ukrainian textbooks due to the interpretation of events in 1943.

The situation with the Volyn tragedy and subsequent steps for exhumation may affect the development of relations between Ukraine and Poland. Both sides realize that working on a shared memory can serve as a foundation for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the future.