On June 20, Zelensky announced on social media that he had sent the White Eagle Order, awarded to him by the Polish government in 2023, back to Polish President Andrzej Duda. He expressed his belief that "the future will confirm the respect that Ukrainians deserve" and included a photo of the medal just before it was sent to Poland from a Kyiv post office.
Zelensky stated he would not contest the Polish government's decision to revoke the honor. However, he expressed discomfort by pointing out that controversial past recipients, such as Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and pro-Russian former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, still hold the Polish honor.
The situation escalated after Zelensky awarded the honorary title "Heroes of the UPA" to a Ukrainian military unit last month. The UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) was a nationalist armed group that fought against the Soviet Union during World War II. While viewed as a liberation movement in Ukraine, the UPA's history is sensitive in Poland, where some members collaborated with Nazi Germany and were involved in the Volhynia massacre, which resulted in the deaths of around 100,000 Poles between 1943 and 1944.
Polish right-wing factions have demanded that the government recognize this event as genocide. Conversely, Ukrainians argue that the conflict involved retaliatory attacks from the Polish side, leading to approximately 10,000 Ukrainian deaths, complicating the narrative of unilateral responsibility.
As tensions grew, Polish President Duda decided to revoke the White Eagle Order awarded to Zelensky. In response, former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko, along with current officials such as Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov, also announced their intention to return their Polish honors.
However, concerns about the escalating conflict with Ukraine have emerged within the Polish government. According to Bloomberg, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on social media that the conflict between Polish and Ukrainian politicians represents a strategic mistake that could incur costs for both sides in terms of economics, geopolitics, and reputation.
Bloomberg also noted that this dispute could negatively impact the Ukrainian reconstruction conference scheduled to take place this week in Gdańsk, Poland, where Zelensky was initially expected to attend.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has supported Ukraine and opened its borders to millions of refugees. In April 2023, Poland awarded Zelensky the White Eagle Order in recognition of his contributions against Russia.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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