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Poland revokes top honor to Zelensky over WWII-era unit naming
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Algeria /Culture & Society

Poland revokes top honor to Zelensky over WWII-era unit naming

From El Watan · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Poland has revoked its highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
  • The decision stems from Zelensky's decision to name an elite military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which massacred Poles during WWII.
  • Polish officials emphasize the decision targets the UPA's legacy, not the Ukrainian people or Poland's strategic support for Ukraine.

Poland has taken the highly symbolic step of revoking its highest honor, the Order of the White Eagle, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The move, announced Friday by Polish President Karol Nawrocki, escalates a decades-long historical memory dispute and risks straining a crucial wartime partnership between the two nations.

For the overwhelming majority of Polish society, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) remains above all a formation responsible for brutal crimes committed against citizens of the Republic of Poland during World War II.

โ€” Karol NawrockiExplaining the rationale behind revoking the award.

The decision follows Zelensky's decree on May 27th to name an elite special operations unit "Heroes of the UPA." The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) is remembered in Poland primarily for its brutal massacres of Polish civilians during World War II. President Nawrocki stated his "outrage," explaining that for the vast majority of Polish society, the UPA represents perpetrators of horrific crimes against Polish citizens.

This decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people. It does not mean a change in the strategic orientation of Poland's security policy.

โ€” Karol NawrockiClarifying the scope of the decision.

Nawrocki stressed that the decision is not directed against the Ukrainian people and does not signify a shift in Poland's strategic security policy. "We must not forget our history. We must not abandon our memory. We must not give up the dignity of our victims. Poland lives as long as the nation remembers," he declared.

We must not forget our history. We must not abandon our memory. We must not give up the dignity of our victims. Poland lives as long as the nation remembers.

โ€” Karol NawrockiEmphasizing the importance of historical remembrance.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba denounced the move as a "strategic error" and "disdainful." Kyiv maintains that naming the unit was not intended as an insult to Poland. In Ukraine, the UPA is often honored as a force that fought for the country's independence, particularly since Russia's 2022 invasion. While the UPA sometimes collaborated with the Nazis, it also fought against them. Former Polish President Lech Waล‚ฤ™sa reacted strongly, calling Zelensky's actions insulting and stating he had removed the Ukrainian flag from his lapel, though he vowed to continue supporting the Ukrainian nation against Russia.

a strategic error and a disdainful decision

โ€” Andriรฏ SybigaUkraine's reaction to Poland's decision.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Watan in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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