Polish Opposition Leader to Return Ukrainian Order, Calls for EU Accession Block

Polish Law and Justice Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński announced Thursday he intends to return his Ukrainian Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, one of Ukraine’s highest state decorations, in protest over what he described as deteriorating relations between the neighboring countries.

According to RMF24, Kaczyński made the announcement during a press conference on Thursday, in response to questions about the Ukraine Recovery Conference taking place in Gdańsk.  The gesture, according to him, reflects his attitude toward “Ukraine’s elites” rather than Ukrainian citizens.

“I will also return the order, because mine is of quite high rank – the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the highest except for the First Class, because I am not a president. I hold the Second Class,” Kaczyński said.

“The conflict is being rapidly escalated by the other side,” he claimed, adding that Poland should start blocking the opening of the EU’s next negotiating clusters with Ukraine and Moldova. However, he explained this was his personal opinion, not the party’s position.

Kaczyński targets Lviv Mayor at Gdańsk conference

During his speech, Kaczyński made a sharp remark on Lviv Mayor Andriy Savodvyi’s participation in the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), which is taking place in Gdańsk, and from which Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki was excluded.

He described Savodvyi as someone who “does not pay a Polish company for work already completed,” adding that his presence illustrates Ukraine’s attitude toward Poland.

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Volhynia at the heart of the dispute

According to Kaczyński, the conditions of restoring the Polish-Ukrainian relations are “the admission of Ukraine to guilt [on 1943 events in Volhynia], an apology, and the burial of all victims.”

“After all, in Germany, Hitler, Himmler or Goebbels, or any of these criminals, were not placed on the pedestal. And they [Ukraine] do something like this,” he added.

The diplomatic rift between the two neighbors escalated after Ukraine decided to grant a military unit the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA,” naming it after the nationalist partisan force that fought during and after World War II for an independent Ukrainian state.

While many Ukrainians view the group as part of the country’s struggle for independence, Poland considers the UPA responsible for mass killings of Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia during the war.

The reward that Kaczyński is now returning was presented to him on June 1, 2022, in the early phases of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and in accordance with a decree by President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

The document recognized his contribution to the development of Ukrainian-Polish cooperation and his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty. 

Honors returned on both sides as tensions escalate

Nawrocki responded on June 19, by stripping Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, saying the move was “not against the Ukrainian people” and that it did not signal a shift in Poland’s support for Ukraine.

On June 20, Zelensky and three former Ukrainian presidents formally renounced the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor, while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov and Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland also gave back their Polish state decorations.

Zelensky returned the physical award to Nawrocki by mail. In a published statement, Zelensky noted that if the order could be held by historical figures such as Catherine II and Benito Mussolini, Ukraine would not contest its revocation.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has criticized the escalating conflict, warning that tensions over historical memory and state awards serve Russian interests and urging both presidents to calm the situation.

In solidarity, Polish citizens gave Zelensky their own honor, with the civil society group saying Nawrocki’s decision to strip Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle exploits “historical grievances” for electoral gain.

On Wednesday, Poland’s government said it does not require outside mediation to resolve the growing diplomatic dispute.

“I think it’s in the interest of Poland and Ukraine to de-escalate this dispute. We have a lot to do together,” government spokesperson Adam Szłapka said.

Despite Hungary’s blocking of a key procedural step needed to advance Ukraine and Moldova’s EU membership talks, Ukraine is expecting a breakthrough in EU entry, with five clusters set for mid-July.