Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has been stripped of Poland’s highest state award after a diplomatic dispute escalated over Kyiv’s decision to name a military unit after a controversial World War Two formation.
The move by Polish authorities has triggered a sharp exchange between Warsaw and Kyiv, although both sides insist wider cooperation, especially on security matters linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, will continue.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki confirmed the decision, linking it directly to Ukraine’s recent naming of a unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). He strongly criticised the move, saying it reopened painful historical issues and damaged mutual trust between the two countries.
"For the overwhelming majority of Polish society, the UPA remains, above all, a formation responsible for the brutal crimes committed against citizens of the Republic of Poland during World War II," Nawrocki said in a video released on the president's official website.
"That is why the Ukrainian authorities' decision to glorify the UPA is not only outrageous, it is also incomprehensible and deeply disappointing," he said.
"It hurts not only our historical memory. It also undermines the trust built up over the years and in recent months," he added.
Nawrocki also pointed out Poland’s support for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, noting the large number of Ukrainian refugees welcomed into the country.
"Poles opened their borders, their homes, and their hearts to millions of Ukrainians," he said.
Despite the tension, he stressed that Poland’s backing for Ukraine in its war with Russia would not change. However, he warned that shared European values require confronting difficult historical truths.
He said: "Ukraine's path toward European structures also requires a willingness to honestly confront the difficult chapters of its own history.
"A united Europe was built on the rejection of totalitarianism and the cult of violence. These principles must apply to everyone. For those who do not understand this, there can be no place in the European Union, and Poland will certainly not allow it."
The Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s top honour, was awarded to Zelensky in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda. The latest decision now removes that recognition amid the worsening dispute.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha strongly rejected the move, describing Poland’s position as a mistake and one that could benefit Moscow politically. He also accused Warsaw of failing to respect Ukraine’s historical interpretation of the UPA.
He said the decision was "a strategic mistake by the President of Poland, from which only Moscow benefits".
Sybiha further stated that he would return an award he received from Poland in 2022, saying: "No president of another country will dictate our history to us."
The disagreement centers on the legacy of the UPA, which operated in the 1940s and 1950s. In Ukraine, the group is widely viewed as a symbol of resistance against both Nazi Germany and Soviet forces, and the term "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" is considered a national honour.
In Poland, however, the same group is associated with the Volhynia massacres of 1943–45, in which around 100,000 ethnic Poles are believed to have been killed. Polish leaders say this history cannot be ignored in modern diplomatic relations.
The dispute also comes at a sensitive time as Ukraine continues its push toward European Union membership. Kyiv recently participated in the first phase of accession talks in Luxembourg.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged restraint from both sides, warning that the growing tensions only serve Russia’s interests. He called on both presidents to avoid escalating the situation further and instead reduce political heat through calm dialogue.
The naming of the Ukrainian military unit after the UPA was defended by Zelensky earlier, when he said it was meant to preserve historical military traditions. The UPA flag, red and black, is still seen among some Ukrainian forces on the front lines.
So far, Zelensky has not made a direct public response to the decision by Poland to revoke his honour.