KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on June 20 that he and top officials would return Polish awards due to rising tensions with Poland over WWII issues. This conflict escalated after Zelenskyy named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which was involved in historic massacres against Poles.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki responded by revoking Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest honor, stating the decision was not against the Ukrainian people. Zelenskyy expressed on social media that he returned the award, believing it should represent the Ukrainian people and their army.
Additional Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar, followed suit by returning their Polish honors. They criticized Nawrocki’s actions as advantageous to Russia amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.
Russian officials welcomed the revocation, interpreting it as a political victory against Ukraine. Nawrocki condemned Ukraine’s glorification of the UPA as undermining reconciliation between their nations, while Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, despite opposing Nawrocki, emphasized the need for ongoing solidarity between Poland and Ukraine during these challenging times. Poland has supported Ukraine significantly during the war, housing refugees and facilitating aid.
