Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy returned Poland's highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle, after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked it over the renaming of a military unit. The dispute over World War II-era Ukrainian insurgents threatens to strain relations between the two allies.
The dispute over historical interpretations of World War II events threatens to strain relations between Poland and Ukraine, two key allies supporting Kyiv in its war against Russia, potentially benefiting Russia by creating divisions among its adversaries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced he had returned Poland's highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle, after Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated he had revoked the award. The dispute arose from Ukraine renaming a military unit in honor of World War Two-era Ukrainian insurgents accused of massacring Poles.
Nawrocki stated the revocation was not directed against the Ukrainian people and that Poland's support for Ukraine in its war with Russia remained unchanged. He warned that relations were being weakened by "the strengthening of a memory poisoned by crime" and that the stripping of the order served as a warning signal.
In response, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the decision a "strategic mistake" that would benefit Russia and announced he would return his Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. The head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, also renounced his Polish state medal, describing the move as a "gift to the Moscow aggressor."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged de-escalation, writing on X that "a conflict between Poland and Ukraine delights Putin and shocks our allies." He stressed the need for both leaders to "calm emotions, not fuel tensions."
The dispute over the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) has long been a divisive issue between Poland and Ukraine, with Poland viewing the 1943 Volhynia events as genocide, while Ukraine often presents them as part of a broader armed conflict.