Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned Poland’s highest state honour, the Order of the White Eagle, on Sunday after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked it amid a bitter historical dispute over the legacy of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

Zelensky announced the return of the award, which he had received in 2023, in a symbolic gesture of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and military rather than as a personal rejection of Poland. “The honour belongs to Ukraine,” Zelensky stated, according to his chief of staff . The decision followed Nawrocki’s unprecedented move on Friday to strip Zelensky of the award, citing Kyiv’s decision to name a military unit after the UPA, a nationalist group Poland accuses of mass killings of Polish civilians during World War II.

The dispute escalated rapidly, with Ukraine’s top diplomats and military leadership joining Zelensky in renouncing Polish state honours. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Ambassador to Warsaw Vasyl Bodnar both returned their own decorations on Saturday, while Chief of Defence Kyrylo Budanov relinquished his Knights Cross of the Order “For Merit to the Republic of Poland” . Former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Petro Poroshenko also surrendered their Orders of the White Eagle in a show of unity .

Poland’s decision has exposed deep historical fractures between the two nations, whose alliance has been a cornerstone of regional security amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. Nawrocki defended the revocation, stating that honouring Zelensky while Kyiv glorified the UPA would be “a betrayal of historical truth” . The UPA’s legacy remains contentious, with some Ukrainians viewing it as a resistance force against Soviet and Nazi occupation, while Poland condemns its role in the 1943–44 massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.

The diplomatic fallout has strained relations just as Ukraine seeks to maintain Western support. Analysts warn the dispute risks overshadowing shared strategic interests, including Poland’s role as a key arms supplier and host of millions of Ukrainian refugees. “This is not about awards—it’s about memory,” said a senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But memory should not divide allies who are fighting for the same future.”

Zelensky’s return of the Order underscores Ukraine’s defiance in the face of what Kyiv calls an attempt to instrumentalise history for political ends. The gesture also signals that, for now, historical grievances will not derail the broader partnership between Warsaw and Kyiv.

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Articles

Poland revokes Zelenskyys highest state honour over WWII dispute Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle awarded to Ukraines Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after Kyiv named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which Poland holds responsible for mass killings of Polish civilians during World War II.

yenisafak · about 2 hours ago

En Ukraine, la «mémoire sélective» de lhéritage des nationalistes du XXe siècle Le président polonais a retiré à Volodymyr Zelensky la distinction de lordre de lAigle blanc, la plus haute de son pays. En cause: un décret de ce dernier qui ravive une controverse sur lhéritage des nationalistes ukrainiens pendant la Seconde guerre mondiale, entre résistance à Moscou, alliance avec lAllemagne nazie et massacres de civils polonais.

mediapart · about 2 hours ago

Sprawa Orderu Orła Białego. Były premier Ukrainy przeciwny zwrotom odznaczeń. Ma radę dla prezydenta "Nie możemy naprawić jednej szkodliwej i błędnej decyzji obecnego prezydenta Polski innymi błędnymi decyzjami" - tak były premier Ukrainy Arsenij Jaceniuk skomentował zwrot polskich odznaczeń państwowych przez niektórych ukraińskich polityków. W piątek prezydent Karol Nawrocki ogłosił, że chce odebrać Order Orła Białego Wołodymyrowi Zełenskiemu.

gazeta.pl · about 3 hours ago

Zelenskyy returns Polands highest honor after Polish president revokes it in history disputeUkrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has returned a state honor to Poland after the Polish president revoked it. #News #Poland #Polish #Ukraine

mastodon bot · about 7 hours ago

Following Yushchenko and Kuchma, Poroshenko refused Polands highest order amid scandal with Zelenskyy

gdeltproject.org · about 7 hours ago

Hungarian president suffers major setback as Constitutional Court sidelines petition seeking legal safeguard against his removal Hungarys President Tamas Sulyok has accepted a decision by the Constitutional Court of Hungary that effectively halted his attempt to seek constitutional protection against efforts by the prime minister to remove him from office.

intellinews · about 7 hours ago

President Volodymyr Zelenskiys chief of staff said on Saturday he was renouncing a Polish state medal after President Karol ‌Nawrocki stripped Zelenskiy of Polands top honour over a historical dispute. #Russia #EU #Poland #Budanov

mastodon bot · about 8 hours ago

President Zelenskyy has returned the Order of the White Eagle, awarded in 2023, to Nawrocki, stating the honor was intended for the Ukrainian people and military rather than himself personally. #Russia #EU #Poland #Zelensky

mastodon bot · about 8 hours ago

Zelensky stripped of Polands highest honor after honoring nationalist group

gdeltproject.org · about 8 hours ago

Zelenskyy returns Polish honor after president revokes it in history dispute

news.yahoo.com · about 9 hours ago

Puolan presidentti vei Zelenskyin mitalin

iltalehti · about 10 hours ago

Ukrainian President Zelensky returns Polands highest honour after award is revoked

gdeltproject.org · about 10 hours ago

Zelenskyy returns Polands highest honor after Polish leader revokes it in a spat over historyUkrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has returned a state honor to Poland after the Polish president revoked it. #News #Poland #Polish #Ukraine

mastodon bot · about 11 hours ago

Streit um Geschichte: Selenskyj schickt polnischen Orden zurück In einem Geschichtsstreit entzieht Polens Präsident Nawrocki dem ukrainischen Staatschef Selenskyj die höchste Auszeichnung Polens. Der schickt den Orden jetzt per Post zurück, andere ziehen nach.

handelsblatt · about 11 hours ago

⚡️Update: Former Ukrainian presidents renounce Polish Order of White Eagle in solidarity with Zelensky. Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yuschenko, and Petro Poroshenko all chose to surrender their titles after the honor was revoked from President Zelensky.

bluesky bot · about 11 hours ago