Mentzen to Nawrocki on Zelensky's order: Do not make threats you cannot fulfill

Sławomir Mentzen, a leader of Poland's Confederation party, has publicly criticized the prolonged delay in revoking the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The award was granted to Zelensky after Ukraine's elite military unit, the Special Operations Detachment "North," received an honorary title referencing the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

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If you announce that you will take away an order, you should take it away. Otherwise, it puts both the Polish state and the Polish president in a very bad light.

Mentzen stated on social media that nearly three weeks have passed since the head of the National Institute of Remembrance, Karol Nawrocki, announced the intention to revoke the order. "If you announce that you will take away an order, you should take it away," Mentzen asserted in a video posted on X. "Otherwise, it puts both the Polish state and the Polish president in a very bad light." He emphasized that "threats should not be made if they cannot be fulfilled."

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Diplomacy likes silence.

A spokesperson for the Polish president, Rafał Leśkiewicz, explained that the decision is being withheld to allow Zelensky time to reconsider his decision regarding the honorary title for the unit. "Diplomacy likes silence," Leśkiewicz commented, adding that the decision would likely not be made before President Nawrocki's trip to the United States. He reiterated that Poland cannot accept the glorification of the UPA, which is associated with the deaths of many Poles during historical conflicts. Leśkiewicz noted that this issue is being discussed internationally to help the world understand the negative impact of Zelensky's decision on Polish-Ukrainian relations.

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We cannot accept the glorification of the UPA, which is associated with the deaths of many Poles during historical conflicts.