Zelensky returns Poland’s highest honour after award stripped
Joshua Cheetham
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has returned Poland’s highest honour after Polish authorities stripped him of the award in response to his decision to rename a Ukrainian army unit after the controversial Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
The Order of the White Eagle was originally bestowed on Zelensky in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda.
However, Kyiv’s naming of a unit after the UPA sparked outrage in Warsaw, leading the Polish President Karol Nawrocki to declare the move "outrageous," "uncomprehensible" and "deeply disappointing".
Poland views the UPA, which fought over 70 years ago, as responsible for a genocide of about 100,000 ethnic Poles in Volhynia during World War II. The group’s red and black flag is still used by Ukrainian troops today.
In a statement on social media, Zelensky expressed Ukraine’s willingness to engage in "meaningful formats of engagement with Poland" to avoid conflicting interpretations of painful shared history.
He also thanked the Polish people for their support and cooperation during the war, as Poland has been a key ally by hosting refugees and serving as a logistics hub for aid.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that any feud could delight Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged both parties to calm emotions and not stoke tensions.
Despite the diplomatic row, both sides confirmed that Poland’s backing of Ukraine against Russia would remain unaffected.
Ukraine continues its bid to join the European Union, attending the first phase of membership negotiations in Luxembourg this week.
