Polish President withdraws Order of the White Eagle from Zelensky
Polish President Karol Nawrocki withdrew the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honour, from Zelensky. The Ukrainian President was awarded by former Polish President Andrzej Duda. This decision was caused by recent controversy when Ukraine decided to rename its army unit after UPA heroes.
Nawrocki announced this decision in a video address, says the website of the Polish president.
In his speech, he emphasised that the decision “is not directed against the Ukrainian people and does not change the strategic direction of Polish security policy.”
Nawrocki says that the Polish side expressed to Ukraine its position on renaming the unit after “the Heroes of UPA” and hoped that the decision would still be reconsidered, but “ultimately, the Ukrainian side's position has not changed.”
“Giving one of the Ukrainian military units a name invoking UPA criminals has significance that extends far beyond Ukraine's internal affairs.[…] The Ukrainian authorities' decision to glorify the UPA is not only outrageous, but also incomprehensible and deeply disappointing,” the Polish president said.
Nawrocki added that “the Order of the White Eagle is not an ordinary distinction. It is a symbol of the Republic's highest trust. It signifies a special bond with the Polish state and the nation's special gratitude.”
“The President of the Republic of Poland is the Grand Master of the Order of the White Eagle and is obligated to uphold the honour of this highest state decoration. Therefore, in view of President Volodymyr Zelensky's consent to award one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine the name "Heroes of the UPA", after consultation with the Chapter, I have decided to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from the President of Ukraine,” the President said.
More on the controversy
On May 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree granting a Separate Special Operations Centre North of the Special Operations Forces the honorary name Heroes of the UPA. The document states that the purpose of this decision is to “restore the historical traditions of the national army.”
Lech Wałęsa, former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reacted to this by removing a pin featuring the Ukrainian flag and accusing Zelensky of “honouring UPA bandits,” thereby “insulting him and all his killed compatriots.”
Bartosz Cichocki, Poland’s former Ambassador to Ukraine, returned the Order of Merit, which President Volodymyr Zelensky had awarded him in 2022. The Ukrainian flag was removed from the town hall building in Lublin, Poland.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry stated that for Ukrainian military personnel, “the UPA’s struggle symbolises resistance to Moscow’s imperial policies and is in no way directed against Poles.”
Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Bureau at the Office of the President of Poland, said the Ukrainian president should call his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki and apologize.