Historian criticizes Polish president over alleged secret deal with Zelenskyy

A Polish historian has urged against revoking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor. Professor Grzegorz Motyka stated that Zelenskyy was awarded the order for defending his nation against Russian aggression, a situation that has not changed.

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I think this is an over-dimensional decision, because President Zelenskyy received this order for defending his country against the Russian invasion. These conditions have not ceased.

Motyka, a historian specializing in Polish-Ukrainian relations and a member of the Council of the Institute of National Remembrance, believes that revoking the award would be an "overly broad" decision. He emphasized that the circumstances under which Zelenskyy received the honor remain relevant.

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President Nawrocki is distancing himself from the tradition of his predecessor and is very critically assessing the actions of President Andrzej Duda.

Furthermore, Motyka revealed information that has surfaced regarding alleged secret agreements between Zelenskyy and former Polish President Andrzej Duda in early 2022. According to reports circulating online in Ukraine, the leaders supposedly promised to exercise restraint on historical matters. Motyka expressed shock at this alleged pact, particularly criticizing Duda for not ensuring that the agreement included provisions to allow for the exhumation of victims of the Volhynia massacre.

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In the Ukrainian internet, an opinion was presented that in January 2022, a secret agreement was concluded between Zelenskyy and Duda, where both, in short, promised that they would be restrained in historical matters. Why does this shake me? Because President Duda, by concluding the agreement, did not include in it a ban on exhumations, and this reflects very badly on President Duda.

Motyka pointed out that Duda is the only president of the Third Polish Republic during whose term a ban on exhumations of Volhynia massacre victims was in place, and no burials of Poles murdered by Ukrainians occurred. He suggested that the current controversy surrounding the award stems directly from Duda's actions, noting that no one has denied the reports that have emerged.

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According to the information that has appeared in Ukraine at the moment, (Duda - ed.) owes it solely to himself.