A diplomatic dispute has erupted between Poland and Ukraine after Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked the country’s highest state honour previously awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The decision follows Ukraine’s move to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a World War II-era nationalist force that remains a deeply divisive symbol in relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Zelensky was awarded Poland’s prestigious Order of the White Eagle in 2023 by former Polish President Andrzej Duda in recognition of Ukraine’s resistance against Russia and the strong partnership between Warsaw and Kyiv following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
However, Nawrocki condemned Ukraine’s recent decision to honour the UPA, describing it as “outrageous,” “incomprehensible,” and “deeply disappointing.”
The controversy centres on differing historical interpretations of the UPA. In Ukraine, the organization is widely regarded as a symbol of resistance and the struggle for national independence against Soviet, Nazi German, and Polish authorities during the 1940s and 1950s.
In Poland, however, the UPA is associated with the Volhynia massacres of 1943–1945, during which Polish authorities estimate that approximately 100,000 ethnic Poles were killed in territories that are now part of western Ukraine.
“For the overwhelming majority of Polish society, the UPA remains, above all, a formation responsible for the brutal crimes committed against citizens of the Republic of Poland during World War II,” Nawrocki said.
The Polish president argued that glorifying the UPA damages trust between the two nations, despite Poland’s extensive support for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“Poles opened their borders, their homes, and their hearts to millions of Ukrainians,” Nawrocki said, referring to the large number of Ukrainian refugees who sought shelter in Poland during the war.
Despite the sharp criticism, Nawrocki emphasized that Poland’s military and political support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia would continue.
The dispute comes at a sensitive time as Ukraine continues its efforts to join the European Union. Nawrocki argued that candidate countries must be willing to confront difficult aspects of their historical record and warned that glorifying controversial wartime groups is incompatible with the values on which modern Europe was built.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha strongly rejected Poland’s decision, calling it a “strategic mistake” that benefits Russia.
“No president of another country will dictate our history to us,” Sybiha said, announcing that he would return a Polish award he received in 2022 in protest.
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has attempted to calm tensions, warning that the public dispute serves the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tusk urged both sides to lower the temperature of the debate and preserve the strong partnership that has developed since the war began.
The disagreement highlights a long-standing historical divide between Poland and Ukraine. While both nations remain close allies against Russian aggression, conflicting memories of World War II and the actions of the UPA continue to complicate relations.
For many Ukrainians, the UPA represents a fight for national independence and sovereignty. For many Poles, it remains linked to one of the darkest chapters in the region’s history. The latest dispute demonstrates how unresolved historical grievances can continue to influence modern diplomacy, even between strategic partners.
