Poland threatens to revoke Zelensky's honour

What's happened

Poland has opened proceedings to consider stripping Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle after he has approved the renaming of a Ukrainian special-forces unit 'Heroes of the UPA' and presided over the reburial of World War II nationalist Andriy Melnyk with state honours. Polish leaders have voiced outrage, and an advisory Chapter meeting has been scheduled to review revocation.

What's behind the headline?

What is driving this

• Poland is treating Zelenskyy's actions as a direct affront to Polish historical memory because the UPA is widely associated in Poland with the Volhynia massacres that killed tens of thousands of Poles during World War II.
• Ukrainian officials are framing the name as a tribute to fighters who opposed Moscow; they are stressing soldiers chose the name to honour resistance against Russian imperialism.

Political consequences

• This will increase diplomatic strain between two states that have been allied since 2022. Poland's move to consider withdrawing the Order of the White Eagle will force Kyiv to decide whether to reverse symbolic gestures or accept a deterioration in relations.
• Polish domestic politics are sharpening the dispute. President Karol Nawrocki is pressing the Chapter to act and has tapped public anger over historical wounds and migration fatigue. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged talks, warning that a rift will "destroy our solidarity." That division will force Poland's leaders to negotiate a common line on Ukraine.

Strategic effects

• The dispute will give Russia a propaganda advantage. Kremlin messaging will use Polish–Ukrainian tensions to portray Kyiv as intolerant of historical truth and to weaken European unity behind Ukraine.
• EU accession politics are now at risk of politicised bilateral rows: continued Polish anger will slow Kyiv's efforts to consolidate diplomatic backing inside the EU.

What happens next

• The Chapter meeting will review revocation procedures; if Nawrocki pursues formal withdrawal, legal and constitutional questions will follow and require countersignature or further approval within Poland.
• Diplomatic channels will be tested: Warsaw and Kyiv will have to open direct talks; failure to reach a compromise will lead to sustained cooling of cooperation on migration, trade and defence logistics.

Bottom line

• Symbolic acts will produce concrete fallout. The naming decision will not remain cultural only — it will reshape short-term Polish–Ukrainian diplomacy and strengthen narratives Moscow can exploit.

How we got here

The controversy stems from Zelenskyy's decree naming a unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a group that fought Soviets and Nazis but is accused by Poland of carrying out the 1943–45 Volhynia massacres. Poland awarded Zelenskyy the Order of the White Eagle in 2023 for his leadership during Russia's 2022 invasion.

Our analysis

Reuters has reported that Polish President Karol Nawrocki has proposed the Chapter of the Order of the White Eagle meet to discuss revoking the award given to Zelenskyy in 2023. Reuters quoted Ukrainian Foreign Ministry officials stressing that "the army unit's name had been chosen by Ukrainian soldiers who wanted to commemorate those who also fought against 'imperial Moscow'" and saying there was "absolutely no anti-Polish intent" (Reuters, Anna Pruchnicka / Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk). The Japan Times set out how competing Polish and Ukrainian readings of 20th-century history are worsening ties and noted Nawrocki's call for revocation. France 24 and The New York Times provided historical context on the UPA and Andriy Melnyk: France 24 explained the UPA's role in Volhynia and quoted historians describing collaboration and atrocities; the New York Times described Zelenskyy's shift to granting state honours in the reburial. Al Jazeera and The Independent captured domestic Polish reactions — Lech Wałęsa and former prime ministers expressed shock — and quoted Nawrocki saying glorifying the UPA "has provided Russian propaganda with ample oxygen" (The Independent). Together the coverage shows two consistent threads: Warsaw is treating the naming and reburial as offensive to Polish memory, while Kyiv is presenting the moves as national commemoration of anti‑Moscow resistance.

Go deeper

• Will Poland's Chapter formally revoke the Order of the White Eagle and what legal steps will follow?
• Will Kyiv rescind the unit's name or defend it as a military decision?
• How will this dispute affect Poland's support for Ukraine within the EU and on military aid?

More on these topics

• Poland - Country in Europe

  Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres, and has a largely temperate seasonal climate.

• Ukrainian Insurgent Army - Paramilitary wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists

  The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (Ukrainian: Українська повстанська армія, УПА, romanized: Ukrainska Povstanska Armiia, abbreviated UPA) was a Ukrainian nationalist partisan formation founded by the Organisation of Ukrainian Natio

• Ukraine - Country in Europe

  Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.

• Andrzej Duda - President of the Republic of Poland

  Andrzej Sebastian Duda is a Polish lawyer and politician who has served as president of Poland since 6 August 2015. Before becoming president, Andrzej Duda was a member of Polish Lower House from 2011 to 2014 and the European Parliament from 2014 to 2015.

• Russia - Country

  Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in

• Andrii Sybiha‎ - Ukrainian statesman and diplomat

  Andrii Ivanovych Sybiha is a Ukrainian statesman, diplomat, and jurist who became the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine since September 5th 2024.

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy - President of Ukraine

  Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician, actor and comedian who is the 6th and current president of Ukraine, serving since May 2019.