Polish President Karol Nawrocki has revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, prompting Zelenskyy to return the honor in a diplomatic spat over World War II history that has strained relations between two key allies against Russia.
The dispute erupted after Zelenskyy issued a decree on May 26 naming a unit of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a paramilitary organization accused in Poland of mass killings during the 1940s. Former Polish President Andrzej Duda had awarded Zelenskyy the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor, in 2023 for services to security and defense of human rights.
What the Left Is Saying
Ukrainian officials condemned Nawrocki's decision as an unfriendly act that undermines alliance solidarity amid Russia's ongoing invasion. Ukrainian Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov wrote on Telegram that the revocation was 'a gift to the Moscow aggressor, which will certainly use it against both of our countries.' Four Ukrainian officials including Budanov said they would return state honors Poland had issued them.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk criticized Zelenskyy's decision to send back the honor. 'One harmful and incorrect decision by the current president of Poland cannot be corrected by other incorrect decisions of ours,' Yatsenyuk wrote on X.
Ukrainian officials emphasized their gratitude for Poland's support, including hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees since Russia's 2022 invasion began. Ukraine has remained open to resolving historical differences while focusing on the shared threat from Moscow.
What the Right Is Saying
President Nawrocki defended his decision in a 13-minute address on social media. 'For the majority of Polish society, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army remains above all a formation responsible for cruel crimes against the citizens of the Polish Republic during World War II,' he said.
Nawrocki is a nationalist politician who has sought to capitalize on anti-Ukrainian sentiment ahead of elections. However, he emphasized that revoking the honor did not mean Poland would reduce its support for Ukraine's defense against Russia.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged both leaders to 'tone down emotions, not stoke tensions.' In a social media post Friday night, Tusk wrote: 'The front line runs elsewhere,' adding that the diplomatic row 'delights Putin and shocks our allies.'
Poland's Parliament recognized crimes committed by the UPA as genocide in 2016. The organization has been accused of killing tens of thousands of Poles, mostly in Nazi-occupied Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.
What the Numbers Show
Poland has hosted approximately 1 million Ukrainian refugees since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. Poland ranks among the top donors of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine relative to GDP among European nations.
The UPA operated during the 1940s and 1950s, fighting for Ukrainian independence against both Nazi Germany and Soviet forces. Estimates suggest tens of thousands of Poles were killed by UPA units in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia between 1943 and 1945.
Poland is scheduled to host a major event on Ukraine's postwar reconstruction next week, an initiative Zelenskyy was expected to attend before the diplomatic incident escalated.
The Bottom Line
The honor revocation represents a significant strain on Polish-Ukrainian relations at a time when both nations face common threats from Russia. Despite progress made toward historical reconciliation in December meetings between the two presidents, the naming decision has reopened old wounds.
Poland remains one of Ukraine's most reliable European partners, providing military support and sheltering refugees. The dispute highlights how World War II history continues to complicate Eastern European politics decades after the conflict ended. Both nations have signaled they do not want the incident to derail their broader security cooperation against Russian aggression.