Polish President Strips Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle — the Country's Highest State Award
The reason was Zelensky's decision to name one of the units of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine "in honor of the Heroes of UPA".
Karol Nawrocki. Photo: Mateusz Slodkowski / Getty Images
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has officially revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is Poland's highest state award.
Zelensky received the order in April 2023 from Andrzej Duda. At the time, this step was called a symbol of the historical rapprochement of the two nations, and the award was bestowed for outstanding merits in deepening relations and security cooperation.
Warsaw's current move was provoked by Zelensky's decision to officially name one of the elite units of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine "in honor of the Heroes of UPA".
In Poland, where the memory of the Volhynian tragedy is a painful subject, this caused a wave of outrage.
After consultations, the Polish president made the final decision to revoke the award from the Ukrainian president, emphasizing that "the sacrifices of our ancestors cannot be betrayed by silence." According to him, there are clear limits in bilateral relations that Kyiv is not allowed to cross.