June 20, 2026, 6:31 p.mJune 20, 2026, 6:31 p.m
In the historical dispute between Poland and Ukraine, Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj has drawn a line in the sand and sent a controversial medal back to Warsaw. He understood that the Order of the White Eagle represents a special honor, Zelensky wrote on Such a symbol requires merit, but also respect for the values that form the basis of society.
“If there is therefore the view that this special symbol can remain with (Tsarina) Catherine II, with (Italian dictator) Benito Mussolini and (former Chancellor) Gerhard Schröder, then we have nothing to oppose this in Ukraine,” Zelenskyj continued. At the same time he was conciliatory. Ukraine will continue to be open “to all meaningful formats of cooperation” in order to avoid contradictory interpretations of the difficult and painful chapters of our shared past.
The background is the decision of Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip Zelensky of the “Order of the White Eagle” in a dispute over history. “We believed at the time that the Order of the White Eagle, awarded in 2023, was for the Ukrainian people and the army,” wrote Zelensky. That’s how it was explained back then. “Today I sent the medal back to the Polish President.” Ukrainian media posted photos from the post office of the presidential office in Kiev showing the medal packaged and addressed to Nawrocki.
Yesterday, the President of Poland noted that the Order of the White Eagle is not an ordinary award. It is a symbol of the highest trust of the Republic of Poland. It signifies a special bond with the Polish state and the special gratitude of the Polish people. Looking for a symbol… pic.twitter.com/FXNVFUW6Sh
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 20, 2026
The Polish president asserted in a statement that the withdrawal was “not directed against the Ukrainian nation” and did not change the strategic direction of Polish security policy.
The head of the presidential office also wants to return the Polish award
Meanwhile, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov, also wants to return a state award from Poland. He wrote on Telegram this morning that he was foregoing the Golden Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, which he was awarded last year. Budanov spoke of an unfriendly gesture by Navrock towards the Ukrainian people and a gift to the aggressor Russia. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha also announced the return of an award.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on Nawrocki and Zelensky to show moderation on Friday. “The conflict between Poland and Ukraine pleases (Kremlin leader Vladimir) Putin and shocks our allies,” he wrote on X. The dispute escalated almost a week before a reconstruction conference for Ukraine in Gdansk, Poland.
Zelensky sparked controversy with nicknames for army unit
Zelensky was awarded Poland’s highest honor in 2023 by Nawrocki’s predecessor Andrzej Duda to underline the friendship between Poland and Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression against Kiev.
Zelensky sparked the dispute at the end of May when he gave an army unit the nickname “Hero of the UPA”. Kiev honors the memory of the underground fighters of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) because they resisted Soviet rule after World War II. During the war, the gunmen carried out massacres of tens of thousands of Poles and Jews in what is now western Ukraine. (sda/dpa)