War Day 1566: Budanov visited Warsaw and averted Ukraine-Poland relations crisis

Ukraine's intelligence chief Budanov made a visit to Warsaw that helped avert the so-called worst-case scenario in Ukraine-Poland relations. Tensions between the two countries stem from the issue of recognizing UPA fighters as national heroes.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov visited Warsaw and prevented a serious crisis in Ukraine-Poland relations. This marks day 1566 of the war since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

Dispute over UPA

Ukraine and Poland are engaged in a sharp dispute over whether fighters of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA, can be considered national heroes. Poland views this question with extreme sensitivity because UPA activities are also associated with the killing of Polish civilians during the Second World War.

Budanov's visit to Warsaw is considered an important step that helped ease a potential conflict between the two countries. Ukraine-Poland relations are strategically critical, as Poland is one of Ukraine's principal supporters in terms of both arms supplies and humanitarian aid.

Course of the war

The military situation in Ukraine remains tense. Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory have occurred daily since February 2022, and there is currently no end to the war in sight. The international community is closely monitoring both the military situation and relations between allied nations, which are vital to Ukraine's defence capacity.