Former Polish MP Returns State Honor Amid Dispute Over Zelenskyy’s Award Revocation

Honor Returned as a Protest Gesture

According to Главком: Piotr Fogler, a former member of Poland’s Sejm, has sent back his Golden Cross of Merit to the Polish president in protest against the decision to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. The move follows Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s June 19 ruling to revoke Zelenskyy’s award, a decision linked to the naming of a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

In response, several Ukrainian officials-including:

• Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha,
• Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar,
• and Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov

-announced they would return their own Polish honors. Meanwhile, former First Deputy Head of Ukraine’s National Police Vyacheslav Abroskin spoke out against this wave of medal returns.

Zelenskyy’s Response

On June 20, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated he had mailed the Order of the White Eagle back to Karol Nawrocki. Additionally, former Ukrainian presidents Petro Poroshenko, Viktor Yushchenko, and Leonid Kuchma also chose to renounce the same Polish honor. Explaining his actions, Piotr Fogler remarked:

'Symbolically, I am returning my award to this president to protest the senseless decision to strip the president of Ukraine-a fighting Ukraine-of his medal! This is not directed at the president who originally gave me the award, whom I respect, but at the current occupant of the Belweder Palace, who increasingly mocks Poland and all of us!' Piotr Fogler

This episode underscores the rising tension in Polish-Ukrainian relations, where historical and political factors intertwine in complex ways. The reaction of Ukrainian officials to the Polish president’s decision reflects the deep emotions and symbolic weight attached to state honors within the context of bilateral cooperation. Such actions could impact future diplomatic ties and collaboration between Ukraine and Poland, especially at a time when both nations face external challenges.

This recent incident highlights a broader trend in the ongoing tensions between Poland and Ukraine. For a deeper understanding of how these political dynamics are evolving, you can read about Yushchenko's decision to decline his Polish honor, which further illustrates the complex relationship shaped by historical grievances and current events.