Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been stripped of Poland’s highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle. The decision was taken by Poland after Ukraine named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, accused of carrying out a genocide of the Poles.
The Order of the White Eagle is Poland’s highest state honour and was awarded to Zelenskyy in 2023 in recognition of his efforts to strengthen Polish-Ukrainian relations and his role in promoting European security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At the time, Poland was one of Kyiv’s strongest supporters, providing military aid, humanitarian assistance, and shelter to Ukrainian refugees escaping the war.
However, relations between the two neighbours have become increasingly strained over historical and political issues. The latest controversy centres on Zelenskyy’s approval of a Special Operations Forces unit bearing the title “Heroes of the UPA.” In Ukraine, the UPA is often remembered for its resistance against Soviet domination and its role in the struggle for Ukrainian independence. In Poland, however, the organisation is associated with the Volhynia and Eastern Galicia massacres of 1943–45, during which tens of thousands of ethnic Poles were killed. The Polish parliament has officially recognised those killings as genocide.
President Nawrocki argued that honouring the UPA is incompatible with European values and the memory of innocent victims. While announcing the decision, he stressed that the revocation of Zelenskyy’s honour should not be interpreted as a withdrawal of Poland’s support for Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.
The Ukrainian government has expressed disappointment with the move and called for dialogue rather than confrontation. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the naming decision carried no anti-Polish intent and emphasized the importance of maintaining unity between the two countries in the face of Russian aggression.
The dispute highlights the enduring power of historical memory in Eastern Europe. Even as Poland and Ukraine remain strategic partners against common security threats, unresolved interpretations of wartime events continue to test their relationship.
