Poland has stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of its highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle, in a sharp escalation of diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
The move follows Kyiv’s decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist force responsible for massacring Poles during World War II.
The dispute highlights the enduring friction over historical interpretation that continues to strain relations between the two allies despite their shared opposition to Russia.
The revocation marks a significant deterioration in bilateral ties, with Polish officials viewing the UPA naming as a direct affront to Polish historical memory and victims of the Volhynia massacres.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has previously criticized such moves by Polish leadership as driven by domestic political considerations rather than genuine bilateral concerns.
The diplomatic row risks undermining the close military and political cooperation that has defined the relationship since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.