Story perspectives

Poland Strips Zelensky Honor Over UPA Naming, Labels Genocide

6/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Order of the White Eagle after Zelensky named a unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned the clash could aid President Vladimir Putin’s interests.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the revocation a mistake harming nations.
Poland’s parliament labeled UPA’s killing of 100,000 Poles as genocide, prompting a dispute that threatens to dominate Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk.

History

Historical Context

The 1943-44 Ukrainian Insurgent Army massacred up to 100,000 Polish civilians in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, a trauma that has shaped Polish-Ukrainian relations for decades. Reconciliation steps—joint commemorations in 2023 and a 2025 exhumation pact—were undone when President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy’s Order of the White Eagle, a move Donald Tusk warns could aid Vladimir Putin.

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Story summary

Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Order of the White Eagle after Zelensky named a unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned the clash could aid President Vladimir Putin’s interests.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the revocation a mistake harming nations.
Poland’s parliament labeled UPA’s killing of 100,000 Poles as genocide, prompting a dispute that threatens to dominate Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk.

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