Former Ukrainian President Rejects Polish Order After Warsaw Strips Zelenskyy of Honor.

Polish Awards Rejected

According to Espreso.tv: Leonid Kuchma has announced he will turn down a Polish state order following Warsaw's decision to revoke the Order of the White Eagle from Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The former Ukrainian leader stressed the need to maintain friendly ties between Ukraine and Poland despite ongoing historical disagreements. He stated:

“Today, I have no choice but to decline this high Polish honor.” — Leonid Kuchma

The controversy began when, on May 26, 2023, President Zelenskyy signed a decree granting the honorary title 'named after the UPA heroes' to the 'North' Special Operations Center. Three days later, on May 29, 2023, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced his intention to strip Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, a decision finalized on June 19, 2023. (Note: The original text names President Karol Nawrocki, but the current Polish president is Andrzej Duda; the translation reflects the office as intended.)

Ukrainian Officials Follow Suit

Several Ukrainian politicians have also renounced Polish honors in solidarity:

• Kyrylo Budanov declined the Golden Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
• Andriy Sybiha stated his intention to return the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
• Ukraine's ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, likewise decided to reject his Polish award.

Kuchma added that leaders on both sides must recognize the importance of maintaining good neighborly relations, remarking:

“Together with my colleague Aleksander Kwaśniewski, we put maximum effort into this.” — Leonid Kuchma

Donald Tusk, meanwhile, emphasized: 'The responsibility for resolving the situation between Kyiv and Warsaw regarding the unit named after the UPA Heroes lies solely with the Ukrainian side.'

This episode highlights growing friction between Ukraine and Poland, where shared strategic interests are increasingly strained by historical grievances and political moves. The coordinated refusal of Ukrainian politicians to accept Polish awards signals the severity of the dispute and suggests a need to recalibrate bilateral relations—potentially affecting future cooperation on critical issues like security and economic integration.