Poland’s president has said he wants a state advisory body to consider revoking the country’s highest decoration from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, following controversy over Ukraine naming a military unit after nationalist fighters linked to wartime atrocities against Poles.
Poland’s leader stated on Friday that the matter should be reviewed by the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle after Ukraine designated a special forces unit with the name of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group associated with mass killings of Poles during World War Two.
Warsaw has remained one of Kyiv’s strongest allies since Russia’s full-scale invasion, and former president Andrzej Duda awarded Zelenskiy the Order of the White Eagle in 2023.
However, relations have become strained after Zelenskiy approved recognition of the unit’s name, which references the UPA an organisation some Ukrainians view as freedom fighters against Soviet and Nazi forces, but which Poland holds responsible for the Volhynia massacres that killed around 100,000 Poles between 1943 and 1945. Thousands of Ukrainians were also killed in retaliatory violence.
“Glorifying the UPA has given Russian propaganda a strong tool for spreading misinformation,” the Polish president told journalists in Warsaw.
He stated that supporting Ukraine against Russia remains a strategic priority for Poland, but said the advisory Chapter of the Order will meet on June 8 to discuss possible action regarding Zelenskiy’s award.
“I have suggested that the agenda include revoking President Zelenskiy’s Order of the White Eagle,” he said, noting that formal procedures require consultation before any final decision can be made.
The president, described as a conservative nationalist influenced by US President Donald Trump, has appealed to growing public concern in Poland over Ukrainian migration and campaigned on a “Poland first” platform.
Poland’s foreign ministry reacted on social media, saying the renaming of the Ukrainian unit “damages the memory of the victims of that organisation and undermines dialogue between our nations.”
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s presidency declined to directly address the comments, instead expressing gratitude for Poland’s continued support and voicing hope that both nations’ independence would remain secure despite Russian pressure.
Zelenskiy was awarded the Order of the White Eagle for his role in strengthening bilateral ties, supporting democracy, and contributing to peace and security in Europe, as well as for his “steadfast defence of fundamental human rights.”
Goodness Anunobi
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