Stripped of the Order of the White Eagle
On June 19, Polish President Karol Nawrocki made the decision to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The move came after a Ukrainian military unit was named after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). In response, Zelenskyy suggested the controversy was driven by domestic Polish politics.
“I see this purely as an electoral maneuver. President Nawrocki is competing for his party’s prime ministerial seat against Premier Tusk. We have nothing to do with it—this is their internal affair,” Zelenskyy stated.
Rejecting the Decoration
The following day, June 20, Zelenskyy announced he had mailed the medal back to Nawrocki. This action came as several former Ukrainian presidents also renounced their Polish awards. Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko each declared they would give up their honors in protest. Poroshenko framed his decision as a direct response to the Polish president’s actions.
Additionally, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Czech Republic and former envoy to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, turned down the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit. Zelenskyy emphasized that “you cannot earn political dividends from hatred—it will eventually ruin relations between nations.” He added, “This is what Orbán did. It’s a bad story, and I believe it will end badly.”
To illustrate his stance on Ukraine-Poland ties, Zelenskyy recalled his first meeting with Nawrocki in Poland, where the Polish leader gifted him a book about the Volyn tragedy. “I never brought this up. I didn’t tell people. I live with it calmly. Now we’re discussing it openly because he’s taking steps I consider wrong,” the Ukrainian president noted.
Nawrocki, for his part, declared that “Poland will not allow EU membership for those who fail to renounce the culture of totalitarianism and violence.” These developments highlight deepening tensions between Ukraine and Poland amid shifting political and social dynamics in both countries.
The conflict over the revoked order underscores the complex relationship between these neighboring nations, which share a intertwined history but also significant disagreements. Both sides are firmly stating their positions, which could shape future cooperation and EU integration efforts. Given current challenges like security and economic issues, maintaining constructive dialogue between Ukraine and Poland remains critically important.
The recent diplomatic tensions between Ukraine and Poland highlight a complex relationship that has evolved over time. For a deeper understanding of Zelenskyy's actions and their implications, you can explore how he returned Poland's highest honor in a separate incident, shedding light on the broader context of these diplomatic exchanges. Read more about this significant move here.