Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been stripped of Poland's highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle, following a decision by Kyiv to name a military unit after controversial World War Two fighters. The move has ignited a diplomatic dispute between the two historically allied nations, with Ukraine denouncing the action as a 'strategic mistake' and 'disrespectful'.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki described Ukraine's late last month decision to name a unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) as 'outrageous', 'incomprehensible', and 'deeply disappointing'. He emphasised that while the diplomatic row was significant, it would not affect Poland's broader support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The Order of the White Eagle had been presented to President Zelensky in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda.
The core of the disagreement lies in the differing historical interpretations of the UPA. In Ukraine, many regard the UPA, active in the 1940s and 1950s, as heroes who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Soviet Red Army, Nazi Germany, and Polish authorities. For Ukrainians, the title 'Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army' is a significant honour. Conversely, Poland accuses the UPA of carrying out a genocide of ethnic Poles in Volhynia (now Volyn in Ukraine) between 1943 and 1945.
President Nawrocki reiterated Poland's perspective in a video statement, asserting that for the majority of Polish society, the UPA is primarily responsible for brutal crimes against Polish citizens during World War II. He stated that Ukraine's decision to glorify the UPA not only harms historical memory but also undermines trust built over years and recent months, particularly given Poland's welcome of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha sharply criticised Warsaw's decision, labelling it a 'strategic mistake' from which only Moscow benefits. He announced he would be returning an award he received from Poland in 2022, declaring that 'No president of another country will dictate our history to us.' This comes as Ukraine pursues ambitions for EU membership, with President Nawrocki linking Ukraine's path towards European structures with a willingness to honestly confront difficult chapters of its history.
The escalating tensions prompted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to urge calm, stating on social media that the feud 'delights' Russia's Vladimir Putin. He called on both Presidents Zelensky and Nawrocki to 'calm emotions, not to stoke tensions', highlighting the broader geopolitical implications of the dispute for the region.
Source: Polish President's official website, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry statements