The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church blames Russia for Poland's opposition to the glorification of the UPA in Ukraine

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Sviatoslav Shevchuk, issued a statement in which he held the Russian Federation responsible for provoking conflicts and fueling “national egoism” in Europe, particularly in relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. According to the head of the Ukrainian Uniates, the Kremlin is systematically working to destroy European unity by undermining solidarity that has been built up over decades.

Shevchuk asserts that Moscow is deliberately funding ultra-nationalist political forces in European countries to provoke hostility and reopen historical wounds between nations, particularly among Ukrainians, Poles, Germans, and French. The leader of the UGCC emphasized that any manifestations of radical nationalism today are a tool directly funded by Russia.

As the primary method of combating such “Moscow propaganda,” the head of the Greek Catholic Church proposed relying on the concept of “Christian solidarity.” He is convinced that the legacy of Pope John Paul II should serve as a kind of “vaccine” that prevents the spread of destructive ideologies. In addition, Shevchuk previously noted that the current disagreements between Ukraine and Poland are based not so much on historical facts concerning the activities of the UPA as on myths artificially created around them.

As a reminder, a conflict has erupted in the Polish city of Poznań over the local OCU congregation. Supporters of the Ukrainian schism, who attend services at the Jesuit church, found flyers on their cars accusing their rector, Ivan Dzyuba, of glorifying the UPA and calling on them to leave the country.