Zelenskyy Returns Poland's Order of the White Eagle After Revocation Over WWII History Dispute
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent back Poland's highest state honor after President Karol Nawrocki revoked it over the naming of a unit after the controversial Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mailed back the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state decoration, after President Karol Nawrocki withdrew the award in response to a decree naming a special-operations unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Zelenskyy posted on X that the order was intended for the Ukrainian people and their armed forces and expressed confidence that future events would confirm the respect Ukrainians deserve.
Nawrocki said the UPA is viewed by most Poles as responsible for “cruel crimes against the citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II,” and that honoring the group reopened historic wounds. The revocation does not, according to Nawrocki, alter Poland’s overall support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
Ukrainian officials, including Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov, described the decision as unfriendly and a “gift to the Moscow aggressor.” Several Ukrainian officials announced they would return other Polish honors. Former Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk criticized the move, calling it an “incorrect decision.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged both leaders to temper emotions, warning that the dispute could benefit Russia and strain alliances. The row comes ahead of a major conference in Poland on Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction, which Zelenskyy was expected to attend.
The UPA, which fought against Nazi and Soviet forces, has been accused by Poland of mass killings of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during the 1940s, a claim recognized by the Polish parliament as genocide in 2016. Both countries have recently made progress on historical reconciliation, including agreements on exhumations of Polish victims.