The European Parliament adopted a resolution supporting Ukraine's progress toward European Union membership while also expressing regret over President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to give a military unit the name of a divisive Second World War formation. The measure placed the historical dispute alongside a broader assessment of Kyiv's reform record and European prospects.
Lawmakers approved the resolution by 460 votes to 136, with 59 abstentions. The text called for a constructive discussion about advancing Ukraine's European integration and said the bloc should work toward the future security of both Ukraine and Europe. It also praised Kyiv's work to strengthen democratic institutions, pointing to judicial reform and efforts against corruption. The size of the majority gave the resolution political weight, although the measure itself was an expression of parliament's position.
At the same time, parliament acknowledged Polish concerns about conflicting interpretations of the two countries' shared past. The resolution referred to strained diplomatic relations between Poland and Ukraine, and followed a debate the previous day in which their difficult history featured prominently. The supplied report did not reproduce the full resolution or detail any binding requirement resulting from the vote.
Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said afterward that Ukraine's route into the EU could not avoid the principles on which the union is founded. He identified historical truth, respect for partners and good relations between neighbours as part of those principles. His remarks presented the vote as a signal that the accession process includes political and historical expectations as well as institutional reform.
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski likewise said he hoped the outcome would demonstrate Poland's influence within the EU. He said parliament expected respect for European values, including the memory of victims of extremism and what he called historical truth, from a country seeking entry into the European family. Those comments reflected the Polish government's interpretation of the resolution rather than a separate decision by EU institutions.
The vote therefore carried two messages that were not mutually exclusive. It recognised Ukraine's reform efforts and framed the country's integration as part of Europe's future security, but it also recorded concern about a symbolic decision that had aggravated relations with an EU member state. That combination kept support for Ukraine's European course alongside a demand for engagement with Warsaw's concerns.
The resolution did not settle the underlying historical disagreement. Instead, its call for discussion made reconciliation part of the political setting surrounding Ukraine's European bid. Further movement would depend on how Kyiv, Warsaw and EU institutions address the dispute while continuing work on the democratic and legal reforms highlighted in the same measure.
