Zelensky Returns Top Polish Honour
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned Poland’s highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle, after Polish President Karol Nawrocki moved to revoke the award amid a dispute over World War II history.
Zelensky Returns Polish Honour
Zelensky said he had sent the Order of the White Eagle back to the Polish president after Warsaw stripped him of the award. The honour had been conferred on him in 2023 by former Polish President Andrzej Duda for his role in defending security, resilience and human rights during Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader said the award had been seen in Kyiv as recognition of the Ukrainian people and the country’s armed forces. He also said Ukraine remained open to dialogue with Poland on difficult chapters in their shared history.
Poland Ukraine Historical Dispute
The controversy escalated after Zelensky approved the naming of a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA. The group is viewed by some Ukrainians as part of the country’s anti-Soviet resistance, but it remains deeply controversial in Poland over wartime massacres of Poles.
Poland has long regarded the killings in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during World War II as a painful historical wound. Nawrocki said the decision to revoke the honour was not directed against the Ukrainian people and did not signal a change in Poland’s security support for Kyiv.
Ukraine Poland Tensions Rise
The move has triggered criticism from Ukrainian officials, who warned that the dispute could weaken unity between two key partners during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged restraint, warning that tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv would benefit Moscow. Poland remains one of Ukraine’s most important European allies, despite growing friction over history, refugees and trade.
