Polish President Karol Nawrocki has stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor [1].

The decision marks a significant diplomatic rift between two close allies. While Poland has provided substantial support to Ukraine, the move highlights deep-seated historical grievances regarding wartime atrocities that continue to strain bilateral relations.

The dispute centers on a decree issued by Zelenskyy on May 27, 2024 [2], which named a Ukrainian special-operations unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, known as the UPA. Poland holds the WWII-era paramilitary group responsible for massacres of Polish civilians during the war.

President Nawrocki announced the revocation of the honor on May 28, 2024 [3]. The Order of the White Eagle is the most prestigious distinction the Polish state can bestow upon a foreign leader [1].

Ukrainian officials criticized the decision, saying that the naming of the unit does not diminish the strategic partnership between the two nations. However, the Polish presidential office in Warsaw said that honoring the UPA is unacceptable given the group's history of violence against ethnic Poles.

The UPA operated during the 1940s and is viewed in Ukraine as a symbol of national liberation and independence. In contrast, Poland views the organization as a perpetrator of ethnic cleansing. This fundamental disagreement over historical memory has frequently surfaced throughout the conflict, complicating the geopolitical alliance in Eastern Europe.

Reports on the timing and status of the revocation vary. Some sources said that Nawrocki sought to strip the honor, while others confirmed the decision was finalized and announced shortly after the Ukrainian decree [2], [3].

“Poland's highest state distinction is the Order of the White Eagle.”

This diplomatic clash illustrates the tension between current security imperatives and historical memory. While Poland and Ukraine must maintain a tight military and political alliance to counter Russian aggression, the glorification of the UPA remains a red line for Warsaw. The revocation of a top state honor suggests that historical grievances can still trigger high-level diplomatic sanctions, potentially complicating future bilateral agreements or EU integration processes.