Amendments tabled by the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group on 1 July 2026 would make the opening of EU accession negotiating clusters with Ukraine conditional on Kyiv's recognition of the ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) against the Polish population in 1943-1945. The proposed changes to the European Parliament's draft report on the 2025 Commission report on Ukraine also seek to have the Parliament explicitly condemn the UPA as an organisation aligned with Nazi ideology, a move that would mark a significant departure from the report's current pro-accession stance.
The amendments, spearheaded by Polish MEP Adam Bielan and co-signed by over a dozen other Polish ECR members, target three key passages of the report drafted by rapporteur Michael Gahler. The most far-reaching change, in Amendment 19, would replace the original text's call to open all negotiating clusters without delay with a hard condition: no clusters can be opened as long as Ukraine refuses to recognise the UPA's alleged ethnic cleansing. Amendment 20 would elevate the resolution of bilateral disputes and historical dialogue from a contributing factor to a prerequisite for opening clusters. Amendment 21 introduces a new paragraph condemning the UPA and stating that its glorification is incompatible with European values.
The amendments are proposed at the committee stage and have not yet been voted on. They represent a clear divergence from the original report's welcoming tone towards Ukraine's accession progress. The ECR's position directly challenges the mainstream view in the Parliament that Ukraine's reform efforts should be the primary benchmark for accession talks. If adopted, the amendments would insert a contentious historical condition into the EU's enlargement process, potentially straining relations with Ukraine and dividing political groups. The next step is consideration by the relevant committee, followed by a plenary vote where the full Parliament will decide whether to incorporate these changes into its final resolution.