Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law recognizing the forced resettlement of around 700,000 Ukrainians from the territory of communist Poland in 1944–1951 as an act of deportation.

LTR reports that the draft law was first submitted in 2019 but has only now come into force after years of revisions and parliamentary hearings. 

“It’s good that step by step, we’re achieving legal and historical clarity in these matters, and most importantly, without scandals or politicization of history,” says Anton Drobovych, former head of the Institute of National Memory.

Compensation and benefits for deportees and their descendants

The new law guarantees compensation for material and moral damages to victims and their descendants. One-time financial aid is envisioned, along with benefits similar to those granted to war veterans, including free public transportation and discounts on intercity travel.

Historical justice backed by legal recognition

The deportation of Ukrainians was carried out under agreements between the USSR and the Polish communist regime. Operation Vistula in 1947 was the largest-scale phase, when over 140,000 Ukrainians were forcibly relocated to northern and western Poland.

In 2002 and 2004, respectively, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal and the European Court of Human Rights recognized these resettlements as unlawful.

Since 2018, Ukraine has annually observed the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Ukrainian Deportations on the second Sunday of September. The law enshrines this date as a symbol of restored dignity and historical truth.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that it should not be Europe, but Russia itself, using its frozen assets, that pays for American weapons for Ukraine. He made this comment in response to the new US and NATO initiative to rearm Kyiv, PAP reports.

“I asked my fellow foreign ministers: Who should pay for American equipment? Should it be European taxpayers, or, in my opinion, should the aggressor pay for it using its frozen funds?” Sikorski said following a meeting of EU foreign ministers. 

He voiced support for Trump’s new plan with a 50-day deadline: if Russia does not end the war within this period, the US will impose tough sanctions on Moscow and its partners.

“We hope that this 50-day window before potential US sanctions is a time to increase pressure on the Russian Federation so that it finally comes to its senses,” the Polish foreign minister emphasized.

Sikorski also noted his approval of Washington’s new stance on the war, adding that he is pleased the US president has now reached the same conclusions that EU countries had drawn earlier.

Earlier, Kaja Kallas, EU foreign policy chief, said that the timeline of a 50-day ultimatum to Putin for Ukraine peace talks is too long, as civilians die daily.

Also, Trump did not clarify what would happen if Russia refuses to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine. Meanwhile, the deadline coincides with the timeframe reportedly shared by Putin during a recent conversation, in which he stated that Moscow plans to escalate military operations in eastern Ukraine. This effectively gives Putin 1,5 months to continue killing Ukrainian civilians.