European Parliament approves amendment slamming Zelensky for renaming military unit

Brussels, July 9 (IANS) The European Parliament has approved an amendment that slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to change the name of an elite Ukrainian military unit after the second World War era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a move that has sparked a diplomatic dispute between Warsaw and Kyiv, a report has said.

Most of the members of the European Parliament voted in favour of the amendment, which expressed regret over Zelensky's "recent unnecessary and unprovoked escalation" while highlighting Poland's support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's military action, Euro News reported.

Polish member of European Parliament from the European People’s Party, Andrzej Halicki, and his German colleague Michael Gahler, tabled the amendment and included a report analysing Ukraine's path to EU membership.

The UPA in Ukraine is remembered for its role in opposing Soviet rule and fighting for Ukrainian independence while, in Poland, it is linked to the Volyn massacre of 1943-45, during which tens of thousands of people of Poland were killed under Nazi occupation. Poland considers the massacre a genocide, a label rejected by Ukraine.

The European Parliament's text has expressed regret over what it termed the "disregard for Polish sensitivities and grief linked to the UPA’s estimated tens of thousands of victims and their families" in Zelensky’s decision.