Polish Ex-Lawmaker Returns State Honor Over Zelensky's 2023 White Eagle Revocation
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Independent · Jun 21
Polish Ex-Lawmaker Returns State Honor Over Zelensky's 2023 White Eagle Revocation
3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Independent · Jun 21
Summary
Piotr Fogler said on June 20 he had symbolically returned his Golden Cross of Merit to protest President Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelensky of Poland's highest state honor.
Nawrocki revoked Zelensky's Order of the White Eagle on June 19 after backlash over Zelensky's renaming of a Ukrainian military unit after the UPA, a World War II-era force tied in Poland to the Volyn massacres.
Fogler said his protest targeted the current president, not former President Andrzej Duda, who awarded Zelensky the honor in 2023 and had originally decorated Fogler.
The dispute is widening: former Ukrainian presidents Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko and Petro Poroshenko also said on June 20 they would renounce their White Eagle honors.
Donald Tusk warned further Polish-Ukrainian escalation over historical memory would be a strategic mistake, as the row deepens strains between Warsaw and Kyiv and risks benefiting Moscow.
Can Poland and Ukraine salvage their alliance before a crucial summit?
How did a WWII historical dispute threaten Europe's united front in 2026?
When History Hurts: The 2026 Poland–Ukraine Rift over the Order of the White Eagle and the UPA Legacy
Overview
On June 19, 2026, a diplomatic crisis erupted when Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the Order of the White Eagle from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This action was triggered by Zelenskyy’s decision to name a special forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group with a divisive legacy in Polish-Ukrainian history. The honor, originally awarded in 2023 for Zelenskyy’s contributions to security and bilateral relations, was withdrawn as a warning and a call for mutual respect. The incident highlights how unresolved historical issues can quickly escalate and threaten vital cooperation between the two countries.