Major EU country makes shocking Ukraine move as Zelensky speaks out

One of Ukraine’s staunchest allies in its war against Russia has made a shocking move against Volodymyr Zelensky following a public outcry over a decision by the Ukrainian president. Polish President Karol Nawrocki has stripped Mr Zelensky of the country’s honorary Order of the White Eagle title on Friday (June 19) after the latter decided to name a serving Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

A World War 2-era organisation that fought for Ukraine’s independence, the UPA is remembered in Poland primarily for its role in the massacres of Polish civilians in the Volyn region – one of the most painful chapters in the history of the two European nations. Tens of thousands of Poles were killed in what is today western Ukraine, then under Nazi occupation, while thousands of Ukrainians were killed in retaliatory Polish attacks. “We must not betray the sacrifices of our ancestors with silence. These are graves that must not be forgotten,” Mr Nawrocki said in a video address.

“Poland has repeatedly signalled to the Ukrainian side the particular importance of this issue. We have conveyed our position and our expectation that the consequences of this decision for relations between our countries be reconsidered. Ultimately, the Ukrainian side’s position has not changed,” the Polish president added.

Mr Zelensky’s decision has angered Polish politics, with officials and public figures, particularly among the country’s conservative political figures, widely criticising the decision. A poll conducted earlier this month found that 52% of Poles say their attitude toward Ukraine and its people has worsened over Kyiv renaming of the military unit.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote in a post on X that the latest controversy “pleases [Vladimir] Putin and shocks our allies,” further calling on the Polish and Ukrainian presidents to “tone down emotions, not to fuel tensions,” echoing a previous call for an open dialogue between both sides and not to allow Moscow to benefit from a Polish-Ukrainian rift.

The Polish government has campaigned for Ukraine in the European Union and is a supporter of sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine. It has also declared that they will never recognise the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

The revocation of the honour sparked swift criticism from Kyiv, with Ukrainian officials condemning Mr Nawrocki amid a renewed diplomatic rift between the two neighbours, whose relations have been repeatedly strained in recent years over unresolved historical grievances.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the President’s Office, said on Saturday (June 20) that he had renounced Poland’s Golden Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit, which he received last year.

“I cannot stand aside and simply watch as the flywheel of hatred is unreasonably and artificially spun against our citizens,” he wrote on Telegram. “Ukraine will undoubtedly assess this event. But despite everything, we will continue to stand firmly on the principles of open partnership with all our allies. However, a partnership of equal rights, based on the principles of mutual respect,” he added.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, also returned his award, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. He stressed that Zelensky is “a friend of Poland” and wrote on social media that the dispute benefits Moscow.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also called the decision a “strategic mistake […] from which only Moscow benefits,” adding that he is refusing the Commander’s Cross Order of Merit award previously conferred onto him in 2022 by former Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Mr Zelensky and the Ukrainian Presidential Office have yet to comment on the matter.