Polish President Seeks to Revoke Zelenskyy's Top State Honor Over WWII Unit Renaming

Poland's president is seeking to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the nation's highest state honor following a decree that has caused significant offense in Warsaw. The Ukrainian leader's decision to name a military special forces unit "Heroes of the UPA" has ignited outrage due to the UPA's historical involvement in the killing of Poles during World War II.

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the withdrawal of the Order of the White Eagle from President Zelenskyy

President Karol Nawrocki stated he was "outraged" by Zelenskyy's decree and has proposed that the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle, an advisory council, discuss the withdrawal of the award. The chapter is scheduled to meet on June 8. This action comes despite Poland's consistent and strong support for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described Zelenskyy's move as "wounding our historical sensitivity" and "worrying for our relations." Even Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, a key figure in Poland's transition from communism, announced he would stop wearing a Ukrainian flag pin, stating that honoring the UPA "insulted me and all our massacred compatriots."

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wounds our historical sensitivity and is worrying from the point of view of our relations

The UPA, or Ukrainian Insurgent Army, is viewed by some Ukrainian nationalists as heroes for their resistance against the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. However, their role in the Volhynia massacres, where an estimated 100,000 Poles were killed between 1943 and 1945, remains a deeply painful historical issue for Poland. Zelenskyy's recent actions, including repatriating the remains of an Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists leader, appear aimed at unifying Ukraine by invoking historical figures as the war with Russia continues without a clear end.

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By honouring the bandits of the UPA, the president of Ukraine has insulted me and all our massacred compatriots