Zelenskyy in Poland to attend events marking 80th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday traveled to neighboring Poland to attend events held to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

The visit to Poland also includes bilateral talks, particularly with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Antonio Costa, Ukraine’s presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov told the state news agency Ukrinform.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, established by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland, was liberated by Soviet forces on Jan. 27, 1945.

The notorious camp was one of the largest concentration centers, where 1.1 million people were killed by the Nazi regime.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Auschwitz was converted into the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in 1947, serving as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

The UN adopted a resolution in 2005 to mark the date of Auschwitz’s liberation as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.