Ukrainian, Polish Presidents Promote Reconciliation While Remembering WWII-Era Massacres

Polish President Andrzej Duda (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy talk after a church service in Lutsk on July 9.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, met on July 9 in the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk to commemorate the victims of World War II-era clashes between Poles and Ukrainians that left tens of thousands of people dead. Poles assert that the Volhynia massacres were carried out between 1943 and 1945 by the nationalist Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists under Stepan Bandera. The Polish parliament has said the events bore elements of genocide. Poland has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the two presidents tried to promote reconciliation by posting on social media identical messages saying: "Memory unites us! Together we are stronger." To read the original story by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, click here.