Poland Strips Zelenskiy of Honor Over UPA Glorification
Poland and Ukraine are locked in a diplomatic dispute after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy honored a military unit with a title linked to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
A diplomatic crisis has erupted between Poland and Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelenskiy bestowed the title “Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army” (UPA) on a military unit. Polish President Karol Nawrocki denounced the move as the glorification of a group responsible for the genocide of approximately 100,000 Polish citizens in the 1940s. In response, Nawrocki stripped Zelenskiy of the Order of the White Eagle and warned that failing to confront historical crimes could hinder Ukraine's path toward the European Union.
Zelenskiy returned the award to Poland, arguing that Warsaw has not removed similar honors from other controversial figures. In solidarity, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, also returned his Polish state awards. The tension escalated further when the Lviv Regional Council designated 2027 as the "Year of Roman Shukhevych, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), and Oleh Olzhych."
Ukrainian officials have attempted to mitigate the damage. Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Vereshchuk urged the Lviv Regional Council to reverse its decision, warning that such moves only benefit Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also labeled the council's decision counterproductive. While Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized the friendship between the nations, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated the Lviv decision deepens divisions. Despite the political rift, historians from both nations continue to cooperate on exhuming World War II casualties in Lviv and eastern Poland.
