This was stated on Espreso TV by Oleksandr Alfiorov, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR) and a major in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.“Relations between Poland and Ukraine are shaped in many ways by political history. When we talk about national memory, we have to acknowledge that, for example, the Volyn tragedy is part of Poland’s political memory — part of its state narrative — and this narrative took shape before our eyes. Today, it needs to be corrected,” Alfiorov said.According to him, Ukraine must make it clear to its friends and allies in Poland that it is ready to finalize the issue of exhumations.“I don’t know if Polish politicians are ready for this,” said Alfiorov. “The fact is, the numbers [of victims] often cited in certain circles — 100,000, 200,000 — have already been undermined by more precise estimates tied to specific exhumation sites.We also don’t know whether the Polish side, beyond making loud statements, is truly prepared to engage on equal terms — for example, in the way we are offering with regard to the exhumation of our graves.”Alfiorov stressed that this is a complex issue. While it’s important to acknowledge the past when discussing the future, we should not remain fixated on it.“This August marks the 105th anniversary of the joint Polish-Ukrainian victory over Russian forces — when Ukrainian troops helped Poland defend its statehood and protect Warsaw. Stories like this unite us. They create space for genuine dialogue, for exchange. Ultimately, it’s these shared victories that point the way to our common future.The shared tragedies of our two neighboring peoples must shape a collective memory — one we return to in order to empathize, understand, and prevent such events from happening again,” Alfiorov said. “This is a difficult chapter of history, but I am confident we will face it with dignity. Today, the blue and yellow colors — now a global symbol of the fight for independence and freedom — will help us find more common ground.”Alfiorov also stressed that a joint history textbook between two different nations is not possible.“At one time, during the Yanukovych era, the Russians attempted to create a joint Russian-Ukrainian history textbook. But such a thing cannot exist — because we are different,” he concluded.Karol Nawrocki, head of the Institute of National Remembrance and Poland’s president-elect, publicly appealed to Volodymyr Zelenskyy — via Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar — with a request to allow the exhumation of all victims of the Volyn tragedy.