Poland-Ukraine tensions rise after Zelensky stripped of top Polish honor

A diplomatic dispute between Poland and Ukraine deepened on Saturday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned Poland’s highest state distinction, the Order of the White Eagle, following a decision by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to revoke the award.

Według ukraińskiego wywiadu Rosja wspiera Iran za pomocą zdjęć satelitarnychReuters

The controversy stems from Kyiv’s decision to name a unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the „Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army” (UPA), a nationalist force whose legacy remains a source of longstanding tension between the two neighboring countries.

Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Office for International Policy, said Ukraine had been fully aware that any attempt to honor the UPA would trigger a response from Warsaw.

„The Ukrainian side was fully aware that efforts to glorify UPA figures would be met with an appropriate reaction from Poland,” Przydacz wrote on the social media platform X, adding that diplomacy can succeed only when both sides remain committed to dialogue.

According to Przydacz, Poland and Ukraine had engaged in intensive discussions in recent weeks, during which Kyiv requested additional time and dialogue on the matter. He said President Zelensky had multiple opportunities to reverse the decision but ultimately chose not to do so.

President Nawrocki announced on Friday that he had decided to withdraw the decoration awarded to Zelensky in 2023. The Polish leader emphasized that the decision was not directed against the Ukrainian nation and did not signal any change in Warsaw’s strategic support for Ukraine or its broader security policy.

Zelensky responded on Saturday by returning the order to Poland.

The dispute has since widened, with several senior Ukrainian officials renouncing Polish state decorations in solidarity with the Ukrainian president. Those who announced they would return their honors include Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar.

Former Ukrainian presidents have also joined the protest. Leonid Kuchma, who received the Order of the White Eagle in 1997, announced he would relinquish the award. Viktor Yushchenko and Petro Poroshenko likewise said they would return Poland’s highest state honor.

(aj)

SOURCE: IAR; PAP 

Radio Poland