Poland strips Zelensky of White Eagle amid UPA naming dispute
Polish President Karol Nawrocki withdrew Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Order of the White Eagle after Kyiv named a military unit after the World War II Ukrainian Insurgent Army, according to The Kyiv Independent. The decision, reported by DW. com and AP News, cited the controversial naming as the reason for stripping the honor. Zelenskyy responded by sending the award back to Poland, a move detailed by CBS News. He said the revocation undermined the bilateral relationship, and the return was intended to highlight the dispute. The revocation sparked diplomatic tension between Warsaw and Kyiv, raising concerns about its impact on Ukraine's EU accession prospects.
Former Polish parliamentarian Piotr Fogler returned his Golden Cross of Merit in protest of the revocation, as reported by The Kyiv Independent. His action underscored domestic criticism of Nawrocki's move. Later, Zelenskyy chose not to attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk, a decision noted by The Guardian. The absence was linked to the ongoing dispute over the UPA-named unit. NBC News summarized the episode as a historic dispute that could affect wartime logistics and Ukraine's EU bid.
