Three Former Ukrainian Presidents Reject Poland’s Highest Honor in Solidarity with Zelenskyy

Former Ukrainian Leaders Turn Down the Order of the White Eagle

According to Radiotrek — Світ: On June 20, 2026, three former presidents of Ukraine-Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko-announced they were declining the Order of the White Eagle. This decision came in solidarity with current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had been stripped of the same award a day earlier by Polish President Karol Nawrocki. The move by Warsaw followed Zelenskyy’s late-May 2026 decree granting the honorary name "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" to the Separate Center for Special Operations "North" of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces.

Zelenskyy originally received the Order of the White Eagle in 2023 from then-Polish President Andrzej Duda. In response to its revocation, Zelenskyy sent his medal back to Warsaw on June 20 via Nova Poshta, a Ukrainian postal service. Leonid Kuchma described Warsaw’s action as

“unfriendly”

and pushed back against any foreign attempts to

“dictate our history to us.”

Viktor Yushchenko emphasized that

“the award was a sign of respect for the entire Ukrainian people, not a specific politician,”

adding that

“any attempts to revisit this decision harm bilateral unity and only serve the Kremlin’s interests.”

Reactions to the Incident

Petro Poroshenko framed his refusal as

“a gesture in response to Nawrocki’s decision,”

stressing that

“this step is in no way directed at the Polish people, and the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy.”

Beyond the former presidents, other Ukrainian officials also renounced the Order of the White Eagle, including:

• Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha
• Head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov
• Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar

The controversy has sparked widespread discussion in both society and the media, highlighting the growing friction between Ukraine and Poland. The episode underscores how deeply questions of historical memory and national identity resonate in both nations.

The collective rejection of the Order of the White Eagle by former presidents and other Ukrainian officials signals an escalation in diplomatic tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw, rooted in historical disagreements. The responses from Ukrainian politicians reveal that issues of historical remembrance and national identity remain highly sensitive, with the potential to shape future political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

In light of these recent developments, it's important to understand the background of the situation. The controversy began when Zelenskyy was stripped of the Order of the White Eagle by Poland's President, a decision that has stirred significant diplomatic tensions. This context sheds light on the motivations behind the former presidents' actions and the broader implications for Ukrainian-Polish relations.