Zelensky stripped of Poland's highest award

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to be stripped of Poland's highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle, according to an announcement by President Karol Nawrocki. This decision follows a dispute over Zelensky's recent move to name a Ukrainian army unit after nationalist insurgents responsible for massacring Poles during World War II.

Zelensky had received the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest distinction, three years ago. However, his decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) has caused significant controversy in Poland. The UPA is widely blamed in Poland for the mass killing of Poles during the Second World War.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiga reacted strongly to Poland's decision, calling it a "strategic mistake." Sybiga suggested that such actions only benefit Moscow, stating that "Only Moscow can win" from Nawrocki's "ruthless" decision. In response, Sybiga announced he would return an order he himself had received from the Polish government.