Poland’s Leader Moves to Strip Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle Amid UPA Naming Dispute: Kyiv Hits Back.

Rising Tensions Between Ukraine and Poland

According to Espreso.tv: Polish President Karol Nawrocki has announced his intention to revoke the Order of the White Eagle awarded to Volodymyr Zelensky. The decision follows a Ukrainian military unit being granted the honorary designation 'named after the UPA heroes,' a move that has sparked sharply divergent reactions in both Poland and Ukraine.

On May 26, 2023, Zelensky signed a decree bestowing the honorary title 'named after the UPA heroes' upon the Special Operations Center 'North.' This action quickly drew outrage from Polish political circles. Just three days later, on May 29, 2023, Nawrocki voiced his displeasure and declared he would move to strip the Ukrainian president of the prestigious Order of the White Eagle.

The situation escalated further in the following weeks:

• On June 2, 2023, Polish politician Krzysztof Bosak called for blocking Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, citing the unit’s new designation as the reason.
• On June 5, 2023, Donald Tusk stated that the responsibility for resolving the conflict between Kyiv and Warsaw lies with the Ukrainian side.

A meeting of the Order of the White Eagle Chapter took place on June 8, 2023, during which recommendations were presented to Nawrocki regarding the potential revocation of Zelensky’s award. Nawrocki ultimately made the final decision to strip Zelensky of the honor on June 19, 2023.

The dispute has also prompted several Ukrainian officials to renounce Polish decorations. For instance, Kyrylo Budanov declined the Gold Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, while Andriy Sybiha announced his intention to return the Commander’s Cross with Star of the same order. Vasyl Bodnar similarly refused a Polish award.

Vitaliy Portnikov commented: 'We should not focus on the opinions of Karol Nawrocki’s Polish supporters, but remember that these actions by the Polish president fit perfectly into the mindset of Russian President Vladimir Putin.'

This episode highlights the deepening strain in Ukrainian-Polish relations, rooted in historical disagreements over narratives of national liberation struggles. The rejection of Polish honors by Ukrainian officials signals a potential downturn in bilateral ties, which could affect joint political and economic initiatives—especially those tied to Ukraine’s European integration. Moving forward, both nations will need to employ careful diplomacy to maintain regional stability.