"Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called two leaders to order after their decisions sparked outrage. "If President Zelenskyy and President Nawrocki become the instigators of historical disputes and emotional clashes, the Kremlin will be delighted," Tusk declared. He expects both men to set aside historical emotions and work toward the difficult but necessary Polish-Ukrainian friendship.
What happened? Karol Nawrocki, the head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, announced his intention to revoke the Order of the White Eagle—Poland’s highest honor—previously awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy had received the order in April 2023 from Nawrocki’s predecessor, Andrzej Duda, who had praised him at the time as an "extraordinary figure" who did not abandon his country "during the most difficult phase of Ukrainian history."
The reason Nawrocki—who, while not a member of the national-conservative PiS party like Duda, is close to it—now takes a different view stems from a decision by Zelenskyy that has caused great indignation in Poland. To mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, Zelenskyy bestowed the title "Heroes of the UPA" upon a unit of the force—a name referencing the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) from World War II. Zelenskyy thanked the soldiers for their exemplary service, courage, and effectiveness in defending Ukraine's independence.
Nawrocki accused Zelenskyy of providing "prime material and a major boost to Russian propaganda" with this move and questioned the country's potential EU accession. "President Zelenskyy has demonstrated that Ukraine—regarding its mentality and the glorification of UPA bandits and murderers— is not prepared to be part of the European family." Moscow labels the UPA "Nazis" and the current Ukrainian government their successors. As with many historical events, the story of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army is complicated.
The UPA was a nationalist underground army that fought for Ukrainian independence during the Second World War. Following Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, it initially collaborated with the Nazis in the hope of securing a state of its own. When it became clear that the Nazis had no interest in an independent Ukraine, the UPA fought against the German occupiers and subsequently against the Red Army.
However, UPA units also murdered, raped, and abused the Polish civilian population living in Volhynia, western Ukraine. More than 100,000 people lost their lives in these massacres during 1943 and 1944.
Poland classifies these crimes as genocide and views the UPA as a criminal organization, whereas Ukraine regards it as a group of freedom fighters who resisted German and Soviet occupation. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union—during which the subject had been taboo—the Volhynia massacres repeatedly caused conflict between Warsaw and Kyiv. Poland reacted with outrage, for instance, when Kyiv granted "hero" status to soldiers of the insurgent army while refusing to allow the exhumation and dignified burial of the massacre victims.
Even before the unit was awarded the title of "UPA Heroes," a similar decision by Kyiv had sparked indignation in Poland. The remains of commander Andriy Melnyk and his wife had been interred with a solemn ceremony at the military cemetery in Kyiv. Melnyk had at times led the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), of which the UPA was the military wing. Following the split of the OUN in 1938, while Stepan Bandera led the radical faction. Melnyk was deported by the Nazis to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp; he died in 1964 and was buried in Luxembourg.
At the recent burial ceremony in Kyiv, Zelenskyy praised Melnyk as a hero. Representatives of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial view this as problematic, given the OUN's association with ethnic cleansing. In Poland, former president and Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa reacted indignantly to the events. "The President of Ukraine has insulted me and all our murdered compatriots by honoring the bandits of the UPA." Consequently, he stated, he would no longer wear the Ukrainian flag on his chest. Wałęsa declared that he would continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, but no longer Zelenskyy.
Poland's government also criticized the honors. Donald Tusk stated that they offended historical sensibilities and were unnecessary and disturbing. "President Zelenskyy and our Ukrainian friends must be aware of what the dark legacy of the UPA signifies to every Pole." However, Nawrocki—who [was conducting] his election campaign that had been marked by anti-Ukrainian resentment, now intends to take decisive action. One of the agenda items will be to strip Zelenskyy of the award.” [1]
1. Aus polnischer Sicht ehrt Selenskyj die Falschen: Warum Polens Präsident Nawrocki dem Ukrainer einen Orden aberkennen will / Von Stefan Locke, Warschau. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; Frankfurt. 01 June 2026: 5. Von Stefan Locke, Warschau
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