Sikorski-Maysky accord

Polish history

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July 13, 2026

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The Sikorski-Maysky accord was an agreement between the Polish government-in-exile, led by General Władysław Sikorski, and the Soviet Union in 1941. This accord reestablished diplomatic relations between the two nations after the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. It aimed to annul the Ribbentrop-Molotov treaty and secure the release of Polish prisoners of war and deported citizens from the USSR. The agreement also allowed for the formation of a Polish army under General Władysław Anders. However, significant difficulties arose, including Soviet territorial claims and friction over the Polish army's evacuation to the Middle East. The accord's complexities were further highlighted by the discovery of the Katyn Massacre and the subsequent severance of diplomatic ties by the Soviets.12

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Poland
World War II
…the Soviet Union through the Sikorski-Maysky accord, accepting the annulment of the Ribbentrop-Molotov treaty without an explicit Soviet renunciation of annexed Polish territory. The Soviets promised to release the deported Poles—more than 230,000 Poles had been prisoners of war since 1939—and agreed to the creation of a Polish army under…
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…the Soviet Union through the Sikorski-Maysky accord, accepting the annulment of the Ribbentrop-Molotov treaty without an explicit Soviet renunciation of annexed Polish territory. The Soviets promised to release the deported Poles—more than 230,000 Poles had been prisoners of war since 1939—and agreed to the creation of a Polish army under…
Read More