Poland revokes honorary order from Ukrainian President Zelensky

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has revoked the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state decoration, previously awarded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The decision follows the renaming of a Ukrainian military unit to honor the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), an organization linked to historical massacres of Poles during World War II. Warsaw expressed significant outrage over this naming, viewing it as a provocative move regarding shared history. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the decision, describing it as a strategic mistake that serves Russian interests. Sybiha stated that Kyiv will not allow foreign nations to dictate its historical interpretation. Some Ukrainians view the UPA as heroes for their resistance against Soviet and Nazi forces during the independence struggle. This diplomatic tension emerges shortly before an international conference on Ukraine's reconstruction scheduled in Gdansk. Observers note this action could impact bilateral relations between the two neighbors, who have been close partners since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.