Poland has revoked President Volodymyr Zelensky’s highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle. The decision follows Kyiv's controversial move to name a military unit after the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki condemned the designation as outrageous and deeply disappointing. While many Ukrainians view the UPA as independence fighters against Soviet and Nazi forces, Poland holds the group responsible for the massacre of approximately 100,000 ethnic Poles in Volhynia between 1943 and 1945.
Nawrocki emphasized that this diplomatic friction will not diminish Warsaw's military support against Russia. However, he warned that EU membership requires an honest confrontation with difficult history. He stated that nations glorifying totalitarian violence have no place in European structures.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha denounced the revocation as a strategic mistake benefiting Moscow. In retaliation, Sybiha announced he would return his own Polish award. Despite the rift, Ukraine continues its initial phase of EU membership negotiations in Luxembourg.