Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on 20/6 that he was returning the Order of the White Eagle to Poland. The award, granted in 2023, was being sent back after Poland's President Karol Nawrocki declared the revocation of the country's highest honor on 19/6.

"We believe that the Order of the White Eagle awarded in 2023 was for the people and army of Ukraine. This was stated at the time. Today, I am sending the Order back to the President of Poland", Zelensky posted on social media. He included photos of the Order of the White Eagle and its certificate packaged for delivery to the Polish presidential office.

Zelensky also expressed gratitude for Warsaw's support. He committed to Ukraine's continued openness "to every form of meaningful cooperation with Poland to avoid conflicting interpretations of the difficult and painful chapters in the two countries' shared history".

The Order of the White Eagle was packaged by the Ukraine president for return to the Polish president, as seen in a photo posted on 20/6. Photo: X/ZelenskyyUa

President Nawrocki's decision to revoke the order stemmed from President Zelensky's renaming of a Ukrainian military unit to "UPA heroes". UPA refers to a nationalist insurgent group during World War II. This force engaged in combat against German Nazis, Soviet forces, and Polish units in the region.

While some Ukrainians regard UPA as heroes for their resistance against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, viewing them as a symbol of Kiev's pursuit of independence from Moskva, Poland holds a different perspective. UPA is accused of involvement in the Volhynia massacres between 1943 and 1945. Poland estimates that 100,000 Poles were killed by Ukrainian nationalist forces during this period. Thousands of Ukrainians also died in subsequent retaliatory actions.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister called President Nawrocki's decision a "strategic mistake", asserting that no foreign leader has the right to "impose our history on ourselves".

Following Zelensky's move, former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko also announced they would return their Order of the White Eagle awards. They cited current tensions damaging efforts to improve relations with Poland. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelensky's chief of staff, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha similarly declared their renunciation of awards from Poland.

President Zelensky receiving the Order of the White Eagle from then-Polish president Andrzej Duda in Warsaw in 2023. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine

Members of the Polish government, who frequently disagree with President Nawrocki, expressed concern that the escalating tension between Warsaw and Kiev benefits Moskva. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated, "The only winner in this war of history and orders is Russia". Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz added that the dispute indicates relations between the two countries are "going in a very bad direction", and that escalating tensions among allies "only benefits the opponent".

President Nawrocki, however, rejected the notion that his decision would benefit Russia. He declared on 20/6 that the action was taken because Poland's self-respect had been offended.

Pham Giang (According to Reuters, AFP)