Analysis: Ukrainian-Polish Breakthrough in Volhynia Dispute With Exhumations (2025)

The earth that has lain silent for decades finally began to speak today. On Thursday, April 24, the first exhumation works began in what was once the village of Puzhnyky, now in western Ukraine, though populated almost entirely by ethnic Poles in 1939.

Ukrainian-Polish talks, which began last year, about how to come to terms with the history of the Volhynia massacres are yielding tangible results in alleviating a dispute that has soured relations between the two countries and their societies.

The issue concerns events from the World War II era, when an ethnic cleansing of Poles was carried out by Ukrainian nationalists fighting against both the Nazis and Soviets to create an ethnically Ukrainian state.

For years, bilateral relations were poisoned by a deadlock, as the Polish side sought to locate, exhume, and commemorate the victims through dignified burials in cemeteries.

To understand the situation, one must go back to the 1990s. The topic of Volhynia – territories in northwestern Ukraine that were part of Poland before World War II and inhabited mainly by Poles, Ukrainians, and Jews – was already being addressed during the presidencies of Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Leonid Kuchma. Isolated exhumation efforts of Polish victims continued until 2017, when a monument to the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was dismantled in Hruszowice, Poland.

The Ukrainian side considered this act illegal and announced a moratorium on exhumations, which remained in place until now. Since then, an agreement had been within reach – particularly in 2019 and 2020, shortly after Volodymyr Zelensky took office – when the possibility emerged to resume work in exchange for the restoration of Ukrainian monuments located in Poland.

However, the attempt to reach an agreement ultimately failed when the inscription on one Ukrainian memorial was changed, deviating from the wording that had been previously agreed upon.

The road to agreement

Since 2017, the issue of Volhynia has caused growing frustration among the Polish public, eventually becoming a strategic priority in Poland’s relations with Ukraine. In 2024, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the current Deputy Prime Minister and Poland’s Defense Minister, warned that without resolving the Volhynia issue, Ukraine would face difficulties securing Polish support for its EU integration.

Why did this seemingly minor issue become so significant? The answer lies in the lack of mutual understanding between Kyiv and Warsaw – particularly regarding historical sensitivities.

In Poland, alongside the ongoing war, Volhynia has become one of the main topics of public debate. In Ukraine, however, it is rarely seen on the front pages, as the country is grappling with a multitude of urgent issues. Nonetheless, the years of delay led to a situation where every political force in Poland – from left to right – started demanding progress on the matter.

The first sign of a breakthrough came with a visit by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to Kyiv in September 2024. During the trip, Sikorski reportedly clashed with President Zelensky. It’s worth noting that Sikorski was, at the time, involved in a pre-election campaign to become the presidential candidate for the ruling coalition in Poland. According to Kyiv Post sources, the dispute over Volhynia was largely performative – meant to demonstrate decisiveness to Polish voters. But the matter didn’t end with the argument. Instead, it gained new momentum.

Andrii Sybiha was appointed as Ukraine’s new foreign minister, and Mykola Tochytsky became minister of culture. According to Kyiv Post sources, they were the architects of a “zero quarrels with neighbors” policy and strong advocates for reaching an agreement with Poland on historical issues. During this time, a number of meetings – both formal and informal – took place between the two sides, many of which proved crucial.

The situation was further complicated by Poland’s ongoing election campaign. Kyiv Post sources revealed an informal meeting between representatives of Poland’s two rival political camps: Hanna Wróblewska, Minister of Culture from the ruling Civic Coalition, and Karol Nawrocki, the presidential candidate supported by the Law and Justice party (PiS) and president of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). They reportedly agreed not to politicize the issue of Volhynia exhumations during the campaign, so as not to jeopardize the process. However, such an agreement was made difficult by the high level of political tension in Poland and the fact that the IPN – led by Nawrocki – has a strong interest in actively participating in the exhumations.

On Jan. 15, 2025, during a meeting in Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tasked their respective ministers of culture with creating a commission to bring about a final resolution to the Volhynia dispute. What had long been missing was finally achieved – the political will of both countries’ leaders.

Ukraine is counting on Poland’s support for its EU accession ambitions and hopes to make tangible progress during Poland’s ongoing presidency of the EU Council. These geopolitical considerations were undoubtedly central to Kyiv’s political calculations. Ukrainian authorities are also aware of the potential cost of further politicizing the Volhynia issue – namely, a decline in support from the Polish public.

The agreement – what it covers and what it leaves out

The Volhynia issue is not only a ticking time bomb in Polish-Ukrainian relations but also a flashpoint in Poland’s domestic political disputes. That’s why the first permit for exhumation work was granted specifically for the village of Puzhnyky – the request was submitted by the “Wolność i Demokracja” (Freedom and Democracy) Foundation, associated with Michał Dworczyk, a former minister from the previous PiS (Law and Justice) government.

“Sending a signal to the former ruling party, now in opposition, was intended to reduce the risk of political escalation,” a Warsaw-based Kyiv Post source explained.

It is important to clarify what the Polish-Ukrainian agreement actually covers – and what both sides have agreed to. Diplomats and experts involved in the bilateral talks decided to separate the processes of locating, exhuming, and giving dignified burials to victims from issues of memorialization, monuments, and commemorative plaques. This distinction allows the parties to avoid disputes over language and symbolism, thereby preventing further delays. Of course, this has a double edge – on the one hand, it helped make the agreement possible; on the other, the topic of memorials remains unresolved.

The search and exhumation work will be carried out by teams composed of both Polish and Ukrainian experts, including members of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance (IPN). This joint effort is intended to minimize the risk of the issue being weaponized during Poland’s election campaign, and to address the deep-seated mistrust that still exists between Poles and Ukrainians on this matter.

Crucially, the agreement extends beyond the exhumation of victims of the Volhynia massacre. It encompasses all individuals who never received a proper burial, both Polish and Ukrainian, who are buried on the territory of either country and who died or were murdered in various historical contexts – not only during World War II. This includes victims of the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918-19), the Polish-Bolshevik War (1919-21), Soviet NKVD actions, and 19th-century uprisings against the Russian Empire, among others.

According to Kyiv Post sources, officials at the Polish Prime Minister’s Chancellery view the deal as a diplomatic success. Despite lingering misunderstandings – and, in some circles on both sides, bad faith – it appears that a resolution to the historical Polish-Ukrainian conflict is materializing before our eyes. As one Kyiv Post source put it, “The Ukrainian President’s Office – the most powerful decision-making body in the country – has come to realize that this symbolic issue is essential to maintaining good relations with its neighbor, Poland.”

The efforts of diplomats from both countries deserve recognition. If the work goes uninterrupted, it could help de-escalate historical tensions – tensions that are especially palpable within Polish society. The best indicator of the issue’s significance is that historical policy has become one of the main themes of public debate in Poland, even rising to the level of a strategic priority in bilateral relations.

Much now depends on the continued work of the joint commissions from both countries. While many in Poland see the current progress as a promising signal, it does not yet settle the matter. It’s also important to remember that a complete historical reconciliation will likely never be achieved – each nation and state has its own collective memory, which differs from that of others.

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Andriy Nadzhos, alluded to this during a meeting with journalists attended by Kyiv Post. When asked whether Ukraine would recognize the events in Volhynia as “genocide,” he replied diplomatically, saying that such a determination would require very strong evidence and documentation.

Dialogue and understanding do not equate to agreeing on the facts. This will be a long-term process, and even with a favorable political climate, it will face many challenges – from provocations to legal or logistical barriers such as difficult terrain, private property, or unclear land ownership.