A diplomatic row escalated in Warsaw as President Zelensky sent back Poland’s highest award, signaling protest amid historic disputes and domestic debate.
In Warsaw, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned Poland’s highest state honor after the Polish president stripped him of the order amid a politicized dispute over the history of World War II.
Zelensky said that the order was allegedly to be awarded to the Ukrainian people and our army. In a post, he published that today he sent the order back to the President of Poland and expressed confidence that the future would confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve.
The post on social media was accompanied by photos of the order and a receipt documenting its dispatch to the presidential chancellery.
President Karol Nawrocki explained the decision to revoke Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle due to the intention to name the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which operated in the 1940s–1950s and is accused of mass killings.
Former President Andrzej Duda awarded Zelensky the honor in 2023 for contributions to security, resilience, and the protection of human rights.
In May, Zelensky signed a decree naming a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army to revive military traditions and to recognize its role in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.
For most of Polish society the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains primarily a formation responsible for the brutal crimes against citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II
– Nawrocki
Reactions and Consequences
The decision to strip the award sparked a sharp debate in Poland: the country is taking in millions of Ukrainian refugees and supporting Kyiv in the defense against Russia, but some politicians use anti-Ukrainian sentiment for political motives. At the same time, Ukrainians in Poland face growing prejudice.
Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Poland for its support and said he was ready to continue seeking ways to resolve historical differences. “I am proud of our people and of every Ukrainian warrior,” he wrote in the post.
Nawrocki’s decision was a “negative act against our people” and “a gift to the Moscow aggressor, who will undoubtedly use it against both our countries”
– Kyrylo Budanov
Four Ukrainian officials, including Budanov, said they were prepared to return the state awards that Poland had conferred on Ukraine.
Some Ukrainians reacted critically to the decision to return the Polish awards. Arseniy Yatsenyuk wrote on X that a single “harmful and incorrect” decree by the current Polish president cannot be corrected by other incorrect decisions on our side.
Although this harmful and incorrect decree by the current Polish president cannot be corrected by other incorrect decisions on our side
– Arseniy Yatsenyuk
Poland plans to hold a major event next week dedicated to Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction, in which Zelensky was expected to participate. Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged cooling the emotions rather than fueling tensions, noting that the front line is elsewhere, and that the quarrel between the countries “pleases Putin and shocks our allies.”
Zelensky’s May decree stressed that the unit’s name should revive military traditions and recognize its contribution to defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.
The UPA and the Polish underground participated in armed actions and repressions on both sides, resulting in significant civilian casualties among Poles and Ukrainians. In 2016, the Polish parliament recognized the crimes of the UPA as genocide. Meanwhile, talks toward historical reconciliation continue between the countries, and the December meetings of the presidents in Warsaw signaled progress in this area.
After all these events, the relationship between Poland and Ukraine remains in focus of diplomacy and historical memory, and both countries continue to seek common approaches to resolving historical disputes in the context of modern geopolitics.