Poland considers stripping Zelensky of honour over WWII unit name
10 reported3 unconfirmed
Ukraine is facing a diplomatic dispute with Poland after Kyiv named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a World War Two-era group. Polish President Karol Nawrocki is considering revoking the Order of the White Eagle, the country’s highest state honour, which was awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2023. Nawrocki has consulted the order’s council and said he will decide “in due course.” The decree, issued late last month, has drawn criticism across Poland’s political spectrum. Some Polish politicians have called for reassessing relations with Kyiv, including halting Starlink funding and blocking EU accession. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, traveled to Warsaw to ease tensions, but Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said diplomacy yielded no results. The dispute may affect an upcoming conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction in Gdansk, and analysts warn of a major diplomatic rupture.
What’s reported
Zelensky issued a decree late last month naming a Special Operations Forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Poland accuses the UPA of carrying out a genocide of ethnic Poles in Volhynia in 1943-45, with about 100,000 killed.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki is considering stripping Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle and has consulted the order’s council.
Criticism has come from across the political spectrum, including from far-right and left-wing groups.
Some Polish MPs from Law and Justice (PiS) called for a “drastic reassessment of relations” with Kyiv.
Far-right Confederation party leader Krzysztof Bosak demanded halting Starlink funding and blocking Ukraine’s EU accession.
Zelensky’s chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov traveled to Warsaw last weekend but his trip failed to ease tensions.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said “diplomacy has yielded no results” and urged a “direct and honest conversation.”
The dispute may overshadow a conference on Ukraine’s reconstruction scheduled later this month in Gdansk.
The Order of the White Eagle can be revoked if the recipient is deemed to have “committed an act making them unworthy.”
Open questions
Whether Nawrocki will ultimately revoke the Order of the White Eagle.
Whether Zelensky will attend the upcoming reconstruction conference in Gdansk.
What specific actions, if any, Kyiv will take in response to the criticism.
Key figures
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland
Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Staff to Zelensky
Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland
Krzysztof Bosak, leader of the far-right Confederation party
Andrzej Duda, former President of Poland (bestowed the order in 2023)
Sources: BBC News
