Polish President Karol Nawrocki said on Friday, May 29, that he will seek to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland’s highest state distinction, the Order of the White Eagle, following Kyiv’s decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
According to the Polish outlet Onet, Nawrocki said he had proposed adding the issue to the agenda of a June 8 meeting of the Order of the White Eagle chapter.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“I proposed that one of the items be revoking the order from President Volodymyr Zelensky,” Nawrocki told reporters.
The move follows Zelensky’s decision earlier this week to grant the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA” to the Separate Special Operations Center “North,” an elite Ukrainian military unit.
Nawrocki criticized the decision, arguing that it would strengthen Russian propaganda narratives and deepen historical tensions between Poland and Ukraine.
“President Zelensky has provided the best material and plenty of oxygen for Russian propaganda,” Nawrocki said.
Poland condemns UPA designation
Poland’s foreign ministry also criticized Kyiv’s decision.
“This decision hurts the memory of the victims of this organization and undermines dialogue between our nations,” ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór wrote on social media.
Zelensky said the designation was intended to restore “historical traditions of the national military” and recognize the unit’s role in defending Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
Zelensky Mocks Putin’s 15 Failed Deadlines to Capture Donetsk Region
The Order of the White Eagle was awarded to Zelensky in 2023 by then-Polish President Andrzej Duda in recognition of Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion and the close partnership between Warsaw and Kyiv.
Under Polish law, a state decoration may be revoked if the recipient is found to have committed acts rendering them unworthy of the honor. Any decision would require formal procedures and the approval of Poland’s prime minister.
Longstanding dispute over UPA legacy
The controversy highlights one of the most sensitive historical issues in Polish-Ukrainian relations.
The UPA operated during and after WWII, fighting for an independent Ukrainian state. In Ukraine, many view the UPA as part of the broader struggle against both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
In Poland, however, the organization is primarily associated with the killings of tens of thousands of Polish civilians in Volhynia and parts of Eastern Galicia during 1943-44.
Poland officially classifies those events as genocide, while many Ukrainian historians describe the violence as part of a broader wartime conflict involving atrocities committed by both Ukrainian and Polish armed groups.
The differing interpretations have periodically strained relations between the two countries despite their close cooperation following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The latest dispute comes as Polish and Ukrainian historians continue efforts to establish a common understanding of the wartime violence and its legacy.
The issue has also become increasingly prominent in Polish domestic politics, with right-wing politicians criticizing what they describe as insufficient Ukrainian recognition of Polish victims during WWII.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
