In brief
Poland returned its Order of the White Eagle to Zelensky after the Ukrainian president named a battalion after the controversial Ukrainian Insurgent Army, sparking diplomatic backlash. In a statement, Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine’s openness to dialogue with Poland and thanked Polish support during the conflict. The move, coupled with appeals for calm from Polish leaders, highlights the complex ties between history and contemporary geopolitics.
The Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s most prestigious civilian decoration, was returned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the Polish president announced that the award had been revoked over a controversial decision to name a Ukrainian army unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
The UPA was a 1940s‑50s nationalist resistance group that fought for Ukrainian independence against the Soviet red army, Nazi Germany and Polish authorities. It has been viewed by many Ukrainians as a heroic symbol, but Poland accuses the UPA of carrying out a genocide against ethnic Poles in 1943‑45, a historical point that remains a source of deep tension.
President Karol Nawrocki branded the decision as “outrageous” and “deeply disappointing,” warning that it hurts Poland’s historical memory and undermines trust built over recent years. Despite the diplomatic flare, Nawrocki stressed that the row would not affect Poland’s support for Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk pleaded for calm, calling the feud a potential boon for Vladimir Putin and urging both leaders to calm emotions. In his own words, Ukraine will remain open to all meaningful formats of engagement to avoid conflicting interpretations of difficult chapters of the shared past.
Poland has been a major ally of Ukraine, welcoming refugees and acting as a logistics hub for aid. The return of the honor by Zelensky is a symbolic gesture of solidarity amid a broader context of Ukraine’s EU membership ambitions and ongoing diplomatic challenges surrounding historical narrative.
