Zelensky returns Poland’s highest honor amid escalating row over nationalist wartime unit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has returned Poland's highest distinction, the Order of the White Eagle, following its revocation by Polish President Karol Nawrocki. This diplomatic escalation stems from a decision by Zelensky in May to name a Ukrainian military unit after the controversial Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist group accused by Poland of wartime massacres of Poles. Zelensky, who received the honor in 2023 for his leadership against Russia, posted on social media that he believed the award was for the Ukrainian people and their army, and sent it back to Poland on June 20, 2026.

The UPA remains a deeply sensitive historical issue between the two nations, as Poland holds the organization responsible for the Volhynia massacre, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Poles during World War II. While the Polish president emphasized that the revocation does not alter Poland's strategic support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, the move has caused significant tension. Several other Ukrainian officials have also returned Polish awards in solidarity with President Zelensky.