Poles Criticize Honors for Ukrainian Nationalists Introduced by Kiev

Poles supported Moscow and eastern Ukraine in their criticism of new Ukrainian legislation that would give WWII nationalists the status of “national heroes”. The nationalists conducted mass killings of Poles during the war and slaughtered tens of thousands of innocent people.

Poles are strongly opposed to a controversial law passed by Ukraine's parliament last month giving WWII nationalists the status of “national heroes”.

The new legislation honors Ukrainian nationalists related to Nazis and responsible for the terrifying atrocities against Polish population during WWII.

According to the new law, the nationalists would be viewed as "fighters for Ukrainian independence" and treated like “national heroes”, the Christian Science Monitor reported.

The new law caused outrage among Poles whose family members were brutally killed by Ukrainian nationalists during WWII.

"They weren't fighting for a free Ukraine. The people they killed were civilians, ordinary farmers who often couldn't write their own names and who knew nothing of politics," said Polish resident Szczepan Siekierka whose family was murdered in 1943, as cited by the newspaper.

Polish politicians displeased with Ukraine’s initiative. Former Polish prime minister Leszek Miller said in an interview to Polish Public radio that during his last visit to Kiev, the Polish President was ready “to extend a hand to the Ukrainians, but left with a knife in his back."

He sharply criticized the Ukrainian government and promised to introduce a relevant resolution in the Seim denouncing Ukrainian nationalism.