Ukraine to Return Polish State Award After Zelenskyy Stripped of Honor
Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced it will return a state award given to him by Poland.
- This decision follows Poland's President Andrzej Duda's move to strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of a Polish state order.
- Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the Polish president's decision a "catastrophic mistake" that benefits Moscow.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated it will return a state award previously bestowed upon President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by Poland. This action is a direct response to Polish President Andrzej Duda's decision to revoke the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honor, from Zelenskyy. The move signals a significant diplomatic rift between the two allied nations.
Andriy Sybiha, head of Ukraine's diplomacy, announced that he would return the state decoration awarded to him in 2022. This reciprocal action underscores Ukraine's strong reaction to Poland's decision. Ukrainian officials view the revocation as a misstep that could undermine their relationship and potentially serve Russian interests.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, characterized President Duda's decision as a "catastrophic mistake" and suggested that it would "benefit Moscow." This framing highlights Ukraine's perspective that Poland's action is not only detrimental to bilateral ties but also plays into the hands of Russia's ongoing efforts to sow discord among Ukraine's allies. The dispute over state honors reflects underlying tensions despite the two countries' strong support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
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Originally published by Gazeta Wyborcza in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.