Poroshenko Refuses Polish Order; Other Ukrainian Officials Follow

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced on Saturday that he is refusing the Polish Order of the White Eagle. The decision comes after Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to revoke the award from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over Zelensky's honoring of a World War II unit linked to the massacre of Polish civilians.

In a statement on Facebook, Poroshenko emphasized that the award was given not just to leaders but to Ukrainians—soldiers defending Ukraine, Poland, and all of Europe. He noted that two weeks ago he had promised to refuse the order if they failed to convince Nawrocki to reverse the decision. "Unfortunately, we did not succeed," Poroshenko said.

He also stressed that any crisis between Kyiv and Warsaw is not only a diplomatic problem but a security issue given Russian aggression. He urged resolving the conflict immediately rather than deepening it.

Poroshenko is not alone in refusing the award. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bondar, and former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman have also announced they are returning the order. Former presidents Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko have done the same. Thus, all former Ukrainian presidents who had received the order have now refused it.

Zelensky himself stated that he has sent the order back to the Polish president, noting that it symbolizes the highest trust of the Republic of Poland. He criticized that this symbol could remain with Catherine II, Benito Mussolini, and Gerhard Schröder, but Ukraine will not argue about it. Zelensky thanked the Polish people for their support in the fight against Russia.

The dispute began after Ukraine's Independent Special Operations Center "North" was renamed "UPA Heroes" on May 26. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) is honored in Ukraine for its role in the fight for independence, but in Poland it is associated with the Volhynia massacre—the mass killing of Polish civilians in 1943, estimated to have killed 60,000 to 100,000 Poles. Retaliatory attacks also killed thousands of Ukrainians.