Polish-Ukrainian friendship masks a bitter, bloody history

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland has emerged as one Ukraine’s most ardent supporters during Russia’s invasion despite historical grievances between the neighboring nations that stir up bad feelings to this day.The tensions between the country at war and its staunch ally were acknowledged Wednesday when Ukrainian President President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a state visit to Poland. President Andrzej Duda received him with honors and promised that Poland would keep helping Ukraine fight off Russia’s aggression. But he also acknowledged at a joint news conference with Zelesnkyy that the relationship was complicated. Poland considers the massacres of about 100,000 Poles by Ukrainian nationalists during the 1940 as genocide. Ukrainians harbor resentment from centuries spent under Polish rule.