Nawrocki seeks to strip Zelensky of Poland's highest honour over UPA dispute
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has proposed stripping Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honour, following Zelensky's controversial decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Zelensky's recent decree recognising the UPA, a contentious Ukrainian nationalist group from World War Two, as "heroes," stands in stark contrast to Poland's perception of them as responsible for mass atrocities, whereas Ukraine regards the group as a movement of anti-Soviet resistance.
On Friday, Nawrocki said he had requested that the issue be included on the agenda of the upcoming meeting of the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle.
"The meeting of the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle will take place on June 8, and I have proposed that one of the agenda items be stripping President Zelensky of the Order," Nawrocki said. He added that while the final decision rests with him as president, the Chapter must first convene to consider the proposal.
Nawrocki said he was "deeply outraged" by Zelensky's decision and argued that "glorifying the UPA has provided Russian propaganda with plenty of fuel for disinformation."
At the same time, he stressed that supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia and "the bandit that is Vladimir Putin" remains a strategic priority for Poland. "However, this is not how relations between nations are built," he added.
Zelensky was awarded the Order of the White Eagle in 2023 by then-Polish President Andrzej Duda.(PAP)
mmr/jch grg/
