[91292] Diplomatic crisis between Poland and Ukraine: Officials in Kyiv return Polish decorations

Diplomatic crisis between Poland and Ukraine following Warsaw's decision

A diplomatic storm has erupted between Ukraine and Poland after the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, decided to revoke the "Order of the White Eagle," the country's highest state decoration, from President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to BBC News | Russian Service, the decision was made following Zelensky's decision to grant an elite unit of the Ukrainian army the title "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)." For Poland, this organization bears responsibility for the massacre of Poles during World War II, a fact that has caused great outrage in Warsaw.

In response to this step, Ukrainian officials took demonstrative actions. The head of the Office of the President, Kyrylo Budanov, announced that he refuses to hold the "Gold Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland." As reported by UNIAN, Budanov claimed that the decision does not stem from justice but constitutes a "gift to Russian propaganda," adding that Ukraine will not remain indifferent to unfriendly policies toward it.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha joined the protest and announced that he would return the "Commander's Cross with Star" of the Order of Merit to Poland, defining Nawrocki's decision as a "strategic mistake" that serves only the interests of Moscow. This was reported by SOTA, highlighting that the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, also chose to return his own decoration as a sign of solidarity.

Conversely, sources identified with Russian positions, such as the SOLOVIEV channel and the IZ.RU agency, described the move as a political humiliation of the Kyiv leadership. The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, reacted sharply with the cynicism characterizing his position, using blunt language toward the Ukrainian president, as quoted in many media outlets in Russia.