Poland, Ukraine: Dispute between two close allies deepens
Key takeaways
- Polish President Karol Nawrocki last week stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's highest state honor.
- Now, however, a dispute about the past, which has been rumbling on for weeks, is plunging the two neighbors into an ever-deepening crisis.
- On Friday evening, Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced on X that he was revoking the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest state honor, from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki last week stripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Poland's highest state honor. How did it come to this? And what has it got to do with next year's election in Poland?
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fw ALIn better times: Polish President Karol Nawrocki (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Warsaw late last year Image: Czarek Sokolowski/AP Photo/picture alliance Advertisement For a long time, Poland and Ukraine were the staunchest of allies.
The political and military support Ukraine received from Poland made a major contribution to Ukraine's ability to successfully defend itself in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.