Poland strips Zelensky of top honor over WWII unit renaming

Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced on June 19 that he will strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the country's highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle. The decision stems from Zelenskyy's recent decree to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist organization accused of massacring Poles during World War II.

Nawrocki stated that for the majority of Polish society, the UPA is primarily associated with cruel crimes against Polish citizens during World War II, particularly the Volhynia massacres between 1943 and 1945, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated 100,000 Poles. He emphasized that glorifying the UPA provides fuel for Russian disinformation campaigns.

Zelenskiy was awarded the Order of the White Eagle in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda for his contributions to security, resilience, and the defense of human rights. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the revocation as a 'strategic mistake' that escalates tensions and benefits Moscow, urging a de-escalation of emotions and a focus on historical reconciliation.

The UPA fought for Ukrainian independence against Nazi German and Soviet forces, but its actions against Polish civilians remain a deeply sensitive historical point. Kyiv had previously stated that the name was chosen by soldiers to commemorate the UPA's fight against Moscow and not to offend Poland.