Poland revokes top award from Zelenskyy over WWII unit honor

Poland's President Andrzej Duda announced Friday that he is revoking the country's highest state award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The decision comes in response to Zelenskyy's move to honor a World War II unit linked to the massacre of Polish civilians.

In a video statement posted on the Polish presidency's 'X' account, Duda said he was stripping Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, which was awarded to him three years ago. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, through Minister Dmytro Kuleba, condemned Poland's decision as a "strategic mistake" and an act of disrespect.

Kuleba stated that only Moscow would benefit from Duda's "irresponsible decision." He added that in response, he would return the order he received from Warsaw. The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces' Independent Special Operations Center "Sever" was named "Heroes of UPA" on May 26 to "restore the historical traditions of the national army."

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I am revoking the Order of the White Eagle from Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy's decision sparked outrage in Poland across the political spectrum. While the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) is honored in Ukraine for its role in the fight for national independence, in Poland it is associated with the Volhynia massacre, the mass extermination of Polish civilians. This issue remains one of the most sensitive points in Ukrainian-Polish relations.

The Volhynia massacre, or Volhynia Tragedy, involved ethnic cleansing by the UPA. It is estimated that between 60,000 and 100,000 ethnic Poles were murdered by the UPA between 1943 and 1945. Retaliatory attacks and subsequent guerrilla warfare in Volhynia also resulted in the deaths of two to three thousand Ukrainians. By 1947, an estimated 20,000 more Ukrainians had died in violence that spread to eastern and southern Poland.

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His irresponsible decision will only benefit Moscow.