Ukraine offers reconciliation to ally Poland over World War II-era massacre

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The chairman of Ukraine’s parliament has offered words of reconciliation over World War II-era mass murders that have strained relations with its neighbor and strategic ally Poland for 80 years. Ruslan Stefanchuk told Polish lawmakers that the two countries should work together to identify and honor Polish victims buried in Ukraine. Stefanchuk’s words sounded a new tone and were in contrast to the recent angry reaction of Ukraine’s ambassador to Polish expectations of an apology. Some 100,000 Poles were massacred in 1943-44 by Ukrainian nationalists and others in Volhynia and other regions that were then in eastern Poland, under Nazi German occupation, and which are now part of Ukraine. Around 15,000 Ukrainians were killed in retaliation.