Zelenskyy signed a law recognizing Ukrainians forcibly resettled from Poland in the post-war years as deportees
On July 29, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, signed a law that legally recognizes as deportees citizens who were forcibly resettled from the territory of Poland in the post-war years. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarded this step as an important restoration of historical justice regarding the crimes of the Soviet totalitarian regime. The relevant law made public on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.
“A correct and worthy step that restores historical justice for this terrible crime. The Ukrainian state will continue to systematically work to ensure that every crime of the totalitarian Soviet regime is properly evaluated and condemned.” — emphasized Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiga.
He noted that the document clearly fixes the terminology, defines the historical circumstances of forced resettlement, as well as the legal consequences of this act. The law also guarantees state support for deportation survivors and their descendants. The minister drew special attention to the responsibility of the Russian Federation, which is the legal successor of the USSR, and which, according to him, “kills and kidnaps our citizens every day.”
The forced resettlement of Ukrainians from the territories of modern Poland to the Ukrainian SSR in 1944–1951 took place within the framework of the agreements between the USSR and Poland after the Second World War. Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, often without the right to return.
The law signed by Volodymyr Zelenskyi on July 29, 2025, recognizes these events as an act of deportation, establishes appropriate legal assessments and provides support measures for displaced persons and their families.
