Former Polish Ambassador Returns Ukrainian Award in Protest

Former Polish Ambassador to Ukraine, Bartosz Cichocki, returned a state award to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to protest a decree honoring a World War II military unit. Cichocki stated his decision was a protest against the Ukrainian president's actions, which he believes glorify a unit associated with the ethnic cleansing of Poles.

Cichocki returned the Order of Merit, 2nd Class medal, which he received for strengthening Polish-Ukrainian relations after Russia's 2022 invasion. The award's return comes amid rising diplomatic tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv. President Zelenskyy signed a decree on May 26th granting an elite special operations unit the honorific title "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" (UPA).

In Poland, the UPA is widely held responsible for the mass murder of Polish civilians in pre-war Eastern Poland, now part of Ukraine, during World War II. Cichocki publicly announced his decision, stating, "Considering the Ukrainian president's decisions, which honor the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and a German Nazi collaborator, I have returned the award granted to me."

Cichocki, who served as Poland's envoy to Kyiv from 2019 to 2023, added that he would continue to support Ukrainians fighting against Russian aggression, historical distortions, and corruption. Despite the protest, he affirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine's fight against the invasion.

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Considering the Ukrainian president's decisions, which honor the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and a German Nazi collaborator, I have returned the award granted to me.