Poland revokes Zelensky’s top state honour over military unit name

Relations between Poland and Ukraine have come under renewed strain after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the country's highest civilian honour awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Relations between Poland and Ukraine have come under renewed strain after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the country’s highest civilian honour awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The decision follows Ukraine’s move to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, a World War Two era force that remains one of the most divisive chapters in the shared history of the two neighbouring countries.

President Nawrocki said Ukraine’s decision was unacceptable and deeply disappointing because of the historical legacy of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, commonly known as the UPA. While many Ukrainians regard the group as fighters who struggled for the country’s independence against Soviet forces, Nazi Germany and Polish rule, Poland views the organisation very differently. Polish authorities hold the UPA responsible for the killing of thousands of ethnic Poles during the Volhynia massacres between 1943 and 1945, which Poland officially recognises as genocide.

Explaining his decision, Nawrocki said the move was not only offensive to the historical memory of the Polish people but also damaged the trust that had been built between the two countries over recent years. He reminded the public that Poland had welcomed millions of Ukrainian refugees after Russia launched its full scale invasion in 2022 and had remained one of Kyiv’s strongest supporters throughout the war. Despite the disagreement, he stressed that Poland’s military and political support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia would continue.

The Polish president also said that countries seeking membership in the European Union must be willing to confront difficult parts of their history honestly. He argued that the European project is built on rejecting violence and totalitarianism and said these principles should apply equally to every nation hoping to join the bloc. Ukraine recently took another step in its long process of joining the European Union by participating in the first stage of membership negotiations.

Ukraine reacted strongly to Poland’s decision. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the move as a strategic mistake that would only benefit Russia by creating divisions between two close allies. He also criticised the decision as disrespectful and announced that he would return a Polish state award he received in 2022. Sybiha insisted that Ukraine alone has the right to decide how it remembers its national history and said no foreign leader should dictate those choices.

The controversy reflects the deep differences between the two countries over the legacy of the UPA. In Ukraine, the organisation is widely viewed as a symbol of the country’s struggle for independence and resistance against foreign domination. Its red and black flag is still seen at military positions and patriotic events, and President Zelensky recently announced that a military unit would carry the group’s name in recognition of what he described as historical traditions within Ukraine’s armed forces.

The Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honour, was awarded to Zelensky in 2023 by former Polish President Andrzej Duda in recognition of the close relationship between the two countries during the war. Although the latest dispute has created fresh diplomatic tension, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged both sides to lower the temperature. He warned that public disagreements only serve Russia’s interests and called on the leaders of both countries to focus on preserving their partnership rather than allowing historical disputes to deepen divisions.