Lviv Administrator Writes to Poland: UPA Year Resolution Has No Legal Force
Maksym Kozytskyi informed the Silesian Voivodeship that the 2027 commemorative measure remains unsigned despite a recent council vote.
By Ana Castro ·
One vote triggered a direct diplomatic exchange between Ukraine's Lviv region and Poland's Silesian Voivodeship. Maksym Kozytskyi, the head of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration, sent a letter to Wojciech Saługa, the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship. The correspondence clarifies that a disputed local resolution does not yet have legal standing.
The resolution in question designates 2027 as the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Roman Shukhevych, and Oleh Olzhych. The Lviv Oblast Council voted to adopt this measure on October 20. Polish officials criticized the decision shortly after the vote was cast. Saługa wrote to Kozytskyi to address the situation. Kozytskyi replied that the specific resolution referenced in Saługa's letter has not been signed and has not come into force.
"I would like to inform you that the resolution of the Lviv Oblast Council referred to in your letter has not yet been signed and has not come into force," Kozytskyi wrote. He expressed confidence that decisions made by authorities at all levels must align with Ukraine's foreign policy interests. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining good neighborly relations with the Republic of Poland.
The administrator acknowledged the sensitivity of historical remembrance for both nations. He stated that such topics require mutual respect, openness, and a willingness to understand one another. Kozytskyi also referenced the long-standing partnership between the two regions. He thanked the Silesian Voivodeship for its support of Ukraine and its assistance to Ukrainian refugees who have taken refuge in Poland since Russia's aggression began.
The Polish Press Agency reported the contents of the letter, citing the Chancellery of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship. European Pravda subsequently published the report. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army was a nationalist paramilitary group that fought for Ukrainian independence during and after World War II, primarily against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
National leaders have also weighed in on the controversy. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated he will not support further steps by the Lviv Oblast Council regarding the 2027 declaration. Local politics have also reacted. Łukasz Gibała, the new mayor of Kraków, has proposed suspending the city's partnership with Lviv in response to the council's decision.
The letter serves as a formal clarification between the regional authorities. It confirms that the symbolic year remains inactive until the document is fully executed. The exchange highlights the ongoing negotiation between local commemorative efforts and bilateral diplomatic considerations.
