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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he has returned Poland's highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle, after Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced on Friday that he was revoking the award. The decision came in response to Zelensky's move to name a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a World War II formation that Warsaw accuses of participating in massacres of Poles. Several top Ukrainian officials also said they were relinquishing Polish awards in solidarity, as the dispute threatens to strain ties between two close allies during Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from multiple outlets — including BBC, Deutsche Welle, and France 24 — consistently confirmed that President Nawrocki stripped President Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, which had been awarded by former President Andrzej Duda in 2023. The decision was framed across the coverage as a direct response to Zelensky's decision to name a military unit "Heroes of the UPA," a formation that Poland regards as responsible for crimes against Poles during World War II.

Deutsche Welle and France 24 reported that the row escalated despite requests from both Kyiv and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk not to proceed with the revocation. France 24 noted that Nawrocki acted "despite Kyiv and Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk asking him not to escalate the spat further," and that the decision came less than a week before Poland was set to host the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference, with Zelensky's attendance initially unclear.

BBC and Deutsche Welle highlighted the emotional response from Ukrainian officials, who argued that Nawrocki's decision would benefit Russia. Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, described the move as "a gift to the Moscow aggressor, who will certainly use it against both of our countries," and said he was returning the Gold Officer's Cross of the Polish Order of Merit. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga also said he would return an award he received in 2022, calling the decision "a strategic mistake … that benefits only Moscow," according to Deutsche Welle.

France 24 quoted Nawrocki as saying that "historical truth is not, and can never be, a bargaining chip" and that "remembering the victims is a moral obligation of the Polish state." He also said Poland had demanded that Ukraine reverse its decision on the army unit but Kyiv had not done so.

Key Claims

  • Poland's President Karol Nawrocki stripped Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor. The award had been bestowed in 2023 by former President Andrzej Duda.
  • The decision was made in response to Zelensky's naming of a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The UPA fought both the Nazis and the Soviets in its quest for a Ukrainian state, according to multiple reports. Many in Ukraine regard its members as heroes, while Poland accuses the organization of carrying out a genocide of about 100,000 ethnic Poles in Volhynia between 1943 and 1945.
  • Polish President Nawrocki said the move "is not directed against Ukrainian people" and that Poland would continue to support Ukraine's defense against Russia.
  • Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky's chief of staff and the foreign minister, argued that the Polish president's decision was beneficial to Russia. Zelensky's chief of staff called it "a gift to the Moscow aggressor."
  • Poland has been one of Ukraine's main allies during the Russian invasion, hosting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees and serving as a logistics hub for Western support, as reported by BBC, Deutsche Welle, and France 24.

Perspectives

Ukrainian government: Ukrainian officials, including President Zelensky, described the Polish decision as unjustified and beneficial to Russia. Zelensky said he was returning the award, which he had believed was meant for the Ukrainian people and their army. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga called the move "a strategic mistake," and the government framed the response as a gesture of solidarity with the president.

Polish presidency: President Nawrocki defended the decision, citing the UPA's alleged role in massacres of Poles during World War II. He stated that historical truth is not a bargaining chip and that remembering victims is a moral obligation of the Polish state, while also asserting that Poland's support for Ukraine would not change.

Polish prime minister: Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a political rival of Nawrocki, urged both countries to preserve their solidarity, warning that the dispute "delights Putin and shocks our allies," as reported by Deutsche Welle.