Poland Revokes Zelensky's Highest Honor Amid UPA Naming Dispute, Exposing WWII Historical Fractures in Wartime Alliance

In a significant diplomatic rebuke, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Ukraine's highest state honor, the Order of the White Eagle, from President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 19, 2026, citing Kyiv's decision to name a special forces unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Nawrocki described the move as "outrageous" and "deeply disappointing," arguing it glorifies a group responsible for the ethnic cleansing of an estimated 100,000 Polish civilians in Volhynia during World War II, as well as attacks on Jewish survivors.[1][2]

The UPA, active in the 1940s, is viewed by many Ukrainians as freedom fighters against Soviet and Nazi occupation, but in Poland it is synonymous with genocide, a stance formalized by the Polish Sejm in 2016. The controversy escalated after Zelensky's May 26 decree honoring a unit as "Heroes of the UPA," prompting Nawrocki—after consulting the Order's chapter—to strip the award originally given by former Polish President Andrzej Duda in 2023.[3]

Ukrainian officials expressed outrage, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha labeling the revocation a "strategic error" benefiting Moscow. Zelensky returned the Order, framing it as a symbol of Polish-Ukrainian solidarity that no longer held meaning under the new circumstances, while other Ukrainian leaders followed suit by returning their own Polish honors.[4]

Despite the tensions, Poland has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russia and its EU accession process. The episode underscores persistent historical grievances that strain the wartime coalition, even as both nations prioritize broader strategic goals. Multiple outlets, including the BBC, Washington Post, and Al Jazeera, have covered the row as a rare public fracture among key allies.[5]