Poland-Ukraine Tensions Rise Over Wartime Legacy Dispute

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

WARSAW/KYIV (Worthy News) – A diplomatic dispute between Poland and Ukraine intensified Sunday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he was returning Poland’s highest state honor following a decision by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip him of the award.

Zelenskyy received the Order of the White Eagle in 2023 from then-Polish President Andrzej Duda, recognizing Poland’s close support for Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The row erupted after Ukraine renamed a military unit in honor of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist force that many Ukrainians view as fighters for independence but which Poland accuses of carrying out massacres of ethnic Poles during World War II.

WARTIME LEGACY DISPUTE

Polish officials condemned the move, saying the UPA was responsible for the deaths of roughly 100,000 Poles in the Volhynia region between 1943 and 1945.

In a statement, Zelenskyy said Ukraine remained open to dialogue with Poland to avoid “conflicting interpretations” of painful chapters of their shared history.

He also thanked the Polish people for their support during the war with Russia.

Three senior Ukrainian officials also announced they were returning Polish awards in solidarity with Zelenskyy.

CALLS FOR CALM

Nawrocki described Ukraine’s decision as “outrageous” and “deeply disappointing,” saying it undermined trust between the two nations.

However, he stressed that the dispute would not affect Poland’s backing for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged both sides to lower tensions, warning that any conflict between Warsaw and Kyiv would benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The dispute comes at a sensitive time as Ukraine continues its push toward membership in the European Union, having recently participated in a new phase of accession talks.

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