Can Poland and Ukraine find a reconciliation over Volyn tragedy? [Video]

Ukraine’s cordial relationship with Poland has hit a rocky patch as ghosts from the turbulent mid-20th century return with a vengeance.

The Volyn tragedy, called a massacre in Poland, mass killings of Polish civilians by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during World War II, has long been an open wound for Polish-Ukrainian relations. However, now the historical grievances have become a roadblock to Ukraine’s strategic EU membership. 

While Poland frames the tragedy as a unilateral Ukrainian “genocide” of Poles, Ukraine insists that mutual animosity and territorial disputes predated the killings and stresses that the violence went both ways. 

A particular bone of contention is UPA leader Stepan Bandera. His veneration in Ukraine as a symbol of the fight for independence during WWII has drawn condemnation from Polish officials, who view him as responsible for the Volyn tragedy. 

The tensions culminated when Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared that Ukraine’s path to EUmembership hinges on resolving its …