Poland Threatens to Revoke Zelensky's Highest Honour Over Ukrainian Army Unit Name

A diplomatic dispute has erupted between Ukraine and Poland after Kyiv formally named a Special Operations Forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The move has prompted strong condemnation from across Poland’s political spectrum, with President Karol Nawrocki initiating discussions to potentially strip Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honour.

Zelensky’s decree, issued late last month, aimed to recognise the UPA's perceived role in fighting for Ukrainian independence against Soviet and Nazi forces. However, in Poland, the UPA is largely viewed as responsible for the mass killings of approximately 100,000 ethnic Poles in Volhynia between 1943 and 1945. Nawrocki publicly condemned the decree as a "glorification of bandits and killers", leading to calls for a "drastic reassessment of relations" with Kyiv from Polish opposition parties, including the far-right Confederation party, which has advocated for halting Starlink funding and blocking Ukraine's EU accession until the decision is reversed.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk, while urging a resolution, noted that "diplomacy has yielded no results" following an unsuccessful visit to Warsaw by Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov. Tusk warned that continued disagreement would mean "not empathy but hard business will determine our relations".

This diplomatic rift threatens to overshadow an upcoming conference on Ukraine's post-war reconstruction in Gdansk and could empower right-wing parties in Poland critical of aid to Ukraine. Observers suggest that revoking Zelensky's honour, bestowed in 2023, might require Tusk's support, though the Prime Minister has stressed that "co-operation serves the interest of both our states and nations, while conflict serves Moscow's interests."