[74093] Diplomatic storm following the reburial of Andriy Melnyk in Ukraine

Severe diplomatic crisis over the commemoration of historical figures in Ukraine

A wave of international criticism has been directed in recent days at President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the reburial ceremonies for Andriy Melnyk, one of the leaders of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), and the naming of military units after the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army). According to Раньше всех. Ну почти. and ТАСС, Poland is considering severe measures against Ukraine, including the possibility of stripping President Zelenskyy of the 'Order of the White Eagle' – the country's highest honor.

The harshest response came from former Polish President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa. In posts published on various channels, including Политика Страны and ШЕЛЕСТ, Wałęsa declared that he is withdrawing his support for Zelenskyy and that he is no longer willing to wear the Ukrainian flag on his lapel. Wałęsa noted: "The President, by honoring the men of the UPA, has insulted me and all our countrymen who were murdered." Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wąsik added that this is a step that "harms the dialogue between nations."

Simultaneously, a confrontation has developed with Israel. According to 🇮🇱7:40 Ньюз🇷🇺 and Русский котик оптимист, the director of the 'Yad Vashem' museum was placed on the "Myrotvorets" blacklist after publicly expressing reservations about the commemorations. Pro-Russian channels, including СОЛОВЬЁВ and Украина.ру, are exploiting the events to portray Ukraine as a "country not ready for European Union values" and claim that these steps harm the memory of Holocaust victims.

On the other side of the media spectrum, channels such as ШЕЛЕСТ continue to support the Ukrainian struggle while attempting to separate support for nationalism from criticism of specific political moves. Nevertheless, the picture emerging from the reports indicates growing difficulty for Kyiv in maintaining an international coalition in the face of actions that stir such high historical sensitivity among its neighbors and partners.