UPA Veterans from Canada and the US: A view on the Volyn tragedy

Veterans of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) from the United States and Canada sent a statement to The Day with their evaluation of the Volyn events during the Ukrainian-Polish conflict of 1943-1944. “We, UPA veterans, we bow down before the undying memory of the Ukrainians and Poles who fell victims to the bloody conflict between our peoples during World War II.” In their view, “the Volyn conflict should be viewed and evaluated within the context of historical events, also considering Polish authorities’ colonialist policies toward the West Ukrainian lands.” The authors also insist that “during World War II UPA fought for the rights of its people, primarily, against Hitler and Stalin’s invaders.” “What should be considered as tragic is the fact that the Polish side under these complicated circumstances didn’t wish to come to terms with the Ukrainian liberation movement, fought for establishing Polish rule in Ukrainian lands, thus standing on the way of an unnecessary bloody Polish-Ukrainian conflict causing enormous tolls on both sides,” the statement reads. The UPA veterans in Canada and the US are convinced that “our time requires concord and cooperation, which should be a basis for good-neighborly coexistence in the interests of both Ukrainian and Polish peoples.” “We believe every people has a right to defend its rights,” the document stresses. The statement is signed by head of the UPA Veterans Society in the US Lev Futala, head of the UPA Veterans Society in Canada Mykola Kosic, and head of the Canadi л an and US Former UPA Soldiers Union Ivan Lyko.

See also page ACTION OF THE DAY