The Ministry of National Defence of Poland has denied reports of suspending a major package of military aid to Ukraine after the Lviv Regional Council's decision to declare 2027 the year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and Roman Shukhevych. Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that the historical dispute between Kyiv and Warsaw had already affected arms supplies.
This was reported on October 21 by the Polish outlet Fakt, citing a comment by Janusz Sejmej, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence of Poland.
The defence ministry spokesperson categorically denied the information about blocking military aid to Ukraine.
“This is untrue information,” Sejmej said in response to journalists' inquiries.
The comment was prompted by a publication by “European Pravda,” which, citing an unnamed representative of the Ukrainian government, reported the suspension of a large package of Polish military aid.
According to the publication, the Lviv Regional Council's decision came as Poland was preparing to transfer another significant batch of weapons to Ukraine. The source claimed that due to the actions of regional deputies, supplies were temporarily halted, and the Ukrainian side is trying to resolve the situation through closed diplomatic channels.
At the same time, neither the composition of the alleged package, nor its cost, nor the planned delivery dates were publicly disclosed.
Thus, the reports from the Ukrainian source and the official position of the Polish Ministry of Defence contradict each other. Warsaw denies suspending aid, but the ministry spokesperson did not provide additional details on the status of preparation for the specific arms package.
The diplomatic escalation arose after the Lviv Regional Council on October 20 adopted decisions to declare 2027 the year of Roman Shukhevych, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, and Oleh Olzhych.
These initiatives provoked a sharp reaction from Polish authorities. Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that honouring the UPA and Shukhevych harms relations between the countries. Prime Minister Donald Tusk also criticised the decision, noting that such actions help Ukraine's adversaries.
As previously reported by Kurs.com.ua, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski signed an order to include Lviv Regional Council deputy Sviatoslav Sheremeta, one of the initiators of the decision, in the list of persons undesirable for stay in Poland.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry distanced itself from the regional council's initiative. The ministry stressed that the decision was taken at the regional level without consultations with central authorities and diplomats, and called it counterproductive for Ukrainian-Polish relations.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Bosacki said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's circle assured the Polish side that the Lviv Regional Council's decision will not come into force. However, there is no official confirmation of its revocation yet.
Thus, despite the ongoing diplomatic conflict, the Polish Ministry of Defence denies that the dispute over the UPA has led to a suspension of military aid to Ukraine.
