A single amendment tabled by the Patriots for Europe (PfE) Group to the European Parliament's annual report on Ukraine would call on Kyiv to end glorification of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and explicitly label its actions as genocide. The amendment, proposed by PfE MEP Anna Bryłka on 1 July 2026, introduces a new paragraph 60a to the draft report by rapporteur Michael Gahler (EPP). It references Council conclusions of 9-10 June 2011 on the memory of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes and demands that Ukraine cease public glorification of individuals or formations responsible for crimes against civilian populations, specifically naming the UPA and characterising its actions as genocide. The amendment is a proposal still to be examined and voted on in committee and plenary; it does not represent the Parliament's adopted position. If included, it would mark a direct challenge to Ukraine's dominant historical narrative on the UPA, which many Ukrainians regard as a national symbol, particularly during the ongoing war with Russia. The amendment shifts the report's focus from general support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russian aggression to a critical demand on Kyiv's internal historical commemoration policies.
Stakeholder impact would be concentrated on EU-Ukraine relations, potentially straining the EU's unified political backing for Ukraine if the amendment gains traction.
For the European Parliament, the proposal introduces a divisive historical dimension into a file that has largely focused on wartime solidarity and reconstruction. Ukrainian authorities would face pressure to address a sensitive historical issue at a time when national unity is a priority. The PfE Group, a right-wing sovereignist bloc, uses the amendment to assert a memory-policy agenda that aligns with its broader critique of EU enlargement and historical reckoning. The amendment is at an early stage; the committee will consider it alongside other proposed changes before a plenary vote, likely later in 2026.