Poland Revokes Zelenskiy’s Top Honour Over WWII Dispute

Poland has revoked its highest national honour awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, citing his approval of naming a Ukrainian military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the move was necessary because of the UPA’s role in the massacre of tens of thousands of Poles during World War II.

The decision has further strained relations between the neighbouring countries, despite Poland remaining a key supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the move as a “strategic error,” arguing that Ukraine alone should determine how it interprets its own history.

The dispute comes just ahead of a major Ukraine reconstruction conference in Poland. While many Ukrainians view the UPA as symbols of resistance against Soviet and Nazi forces, Poland continues to associate the group with the Volhynia massacres, a painful chapter that remains a major source of tension between the two nations.

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