Two Polish local authorities moved to curtail cooperation with Lviv on Oct. 26, as a dispute over plans for Ukrainian wartime commemorations in 2027 reached both city and regional partnerships.
Przemyśl's city council voted 21-0 to suspend cooperation, with no abstentions, Polskie Radio Rzeszów and Rzeczpospolita reported, the latter citing the Polish Press Agency. Separately, Lublin's regional assembly approved ending its 2004 cooperation pact with Lviv Oblast; all 30 members present backed the move, RMF24 reported. RMF24 said the agreement covered economic, trade, scientific-technical and cultural ties.
Lviv Regional Council, which is separate from the city government, approved the commemorative designations on Oct. 20. Its announcement said 2027 would be dedicated to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Roman Shukhevych and Oleh Olzhych. The year marks 120 years since the births of Shukhevych and Olzhych, and 85 years since the UPA's founding. The council described a program spanning education, cultural events, historical study and public outreach.
Rzeczpospolita and Ukrainska Pravda reported that Przemyśl's resolution directs Mayor Wojciech Bakun to pursue legal steps to end the cities' 1995 partnership. Their accounts said cooperation could resume if the regional council withdrew its commemorative designations and Lviv's city authorities distanced themselves from initiatives honoring organizations responsible for crimes against civilians. Bakun wrote on Facebook that “we suspend all joint activities,” Rzeczpospolita reported, translating his post from Polish.
Poland's Institute of National Remembrance characterizes killings of Poles by the UPA and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists-B in 1943-45 as genocide and estimates about 100,000 Polish deaths. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the Lviv council's decision counterproductive to efforts to improve relations with Poland, Ukrinform reported.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk previously warned that the commemorations could harm Ukraine's European Union bid, as EconoTimes previously reported.
