Poland's president strips Zelenskyy of top honor
Key takeaways
- Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's highest honor is likely to spark a severe diplomatic crisis between Poland and Ukraine.
- In 2023, Poland's then-President Andrzej Duda awarded Zelenskyy the Order of the White Eagle for his contributions to security, resilience, and the defense of human rights.
- In his address on X, Nawrocki said Poland had "repeatedly" called on Ukraine to change the name of the unit.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Karol Nawrocki's decision to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's highest honor is likely to spark a severe diplomatic crisis between Poland and Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fjry Polish President Karol Nawrocki (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Warsaw in 2025Image: Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl/REUTERSAdvertisement Poland's nationalist President Karol Nawrocki announced on Friday the decision to strip his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of Poland's highest award, the Order of the White Eagle.
Tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv have been high for days due to Zelensky's decision to name a Ukrainian army unit after an insurgent army (UPA) from World War II that Warsaw accuses of participating in massacres against Poles.