Polish President Revokes Top Honor from Ukraine's Zelenskiy

Diplomacy

Poland, Ukraine

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, citing the renaming of a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

Key points

  • The UPA is a nationalist organization held responsible in Poland for the mass killing of approximately 100,000 Poles during World War II.
  • Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized the revocation as a strategic error that benefits Moscow.
  • The decision follows a decree signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in late May to honor the UPA, a group viewed by some in Ukraine as independence fighters.
  • The diplomatic move occurs shortly before a scheduled conference on Ukraine's reconstruction in Gdansk.

Why it matters

The revocation marks a significant diplomatic rift between two close allies, potentially complicating bilateral relations and regional cooperation during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

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