Polish Foreign Minister comments on conflict with Zelenskyy over Volyn Tragedy victims

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has commented on the conflict with Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting in September, which was previously reported by the media.  

Sikorski stressed on Polskie Radio that there is a national consensus in his country on the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy. He added that the exhumation is being sought, in particular, by Polish President Andrzej Duda, as well as Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Szymon Hołownia, Marshal (Speaker) of the Polish Sejm (lower house of the Polish parliament). [The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.]

The radio station's journalist reiterated that Ukraine did not agree to the exhumation of the Poles, but allowed the exhumation of Wehrmacht soldiers killed in the area during the WWII.

Sikorski stressed that during the talks in Kyiv he had received assurances that the issue of exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy would be resolved.  

The journalist asked whether the meeting between Sikorski and Zelenskyy in Kyiv had really come to a conflict, as reported in the media, to which Sikorski responded: "I can really put the issue to rest. We will see by their actions."

When asked directly if there was a conflict, Sikorski again replied that they would see by Ukraine’s actions.  

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha spoke about meetings in Poland and promised to resolve the "toxic" issue of exhumations.

Read also: The reason of conflict with Polish Foreign Minister in Kyiv and why it's no coincidence