Zelensky Stripped of Poland's Top Honour Over UPA Controversy

Sat Jun 20 2026 15:08:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Poland revokes President Zelensky's Order of the White Eagle after Ukraine names unit after WWII insurgents, sparking diplomatic tension.

Poland has removed President Volodymyr Zelensky from its Order of the White Eagle following Ukraine’s decision to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The move comes amid strong Polish condemnation of the UPA’s wartime record and accusations of genocide against ethnic Poles. Ukrainian officials have condemned the revocation as a strategic mistake, with President Zelensky signalling he will return the award. Despite the diplomatic flare, Poland reiterated its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.

Zelensky Stripped of Poland’s Highest State Honour over Ukraine Naming Military Unit after WWII Insurgent Army

Poland has revoked President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Order of the White Eagle after Kyiv decided to name a new regiment after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The decision was criticised by Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who called the gesture outrageous and deeply disappointing.

UPA fought against both the Soviet Red Army and Nazi Germany in the 1940s, yet its wartime activities included the Volhynia massacres, where an estimated 100,000 ethnic Poles were killed. For many in Poland the UPA is seen as perpetrators of genocide, while Ukrainian officials regard the group as freedom fighters for national independence.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha decried the row as a strategic mistake and disrespectful, and the president said he would return the award received from Poland last year. He added that no other nation can dictate the history of Ukraine.

Despite the diplomatic fallout, President Nawrocki reassured that Poland’s support for Ukraine against Russia would not be affected. He also urged Ukrainian leaders to confront the harder parts of their past to fit within the European Union’s expectations.

The Order of the White Eagle was first bestowed upon Zelensky in 2023 when he held the medal beside Polish president Andrzej Duda. The revocation underscores the sensitive nature of historical memory in the region and the high stakes involved in cross‑border political gestures.